News stories don’t just pre-exist somewhere out there, walking around intact and whole, waiting for an equal chance to step through the door of a media outlet and into the public arena.

They exist in tiny bits and pieces, among heaps of junk and distortions and agendas — and the bits are selected, assessed, ranked, and assembled, according to the rigour and professionalism, or the whim and worldview, of the journalists and outlets involved.

Barry Soper chose to construct a pretty ugly beast out of their scraps. The Herald chose to parade it. Then they stepped back and let everyone else feed it, until the whole thing became something big and real-seeming enough to cause genuine uncertainty and fear, and to prompt genuine attempts to do the proper journalistic work of understanding what this new health initiative is all about.

  • Ilovethebomb@lemmy.nz
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    1 year ago

    What half truth is that, hammer boy?

    Besides, imagine how long every news article would be if they had to contextualise everything. At some point, you need to assume a certain amount of prior knowledge.

    • BalpeenHammer@lemmy.nz
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      1 year ago

      What half truth is that, hammer boy?

      the claim that the policy was changed to hurt white people.

      Besides, imagine how long every news article would be if they had to contextualise everything. At some point, you need to assume a certain amount of prior knowledge.

      A certain amount.

        • Rangelus@lemmy.nz
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          1 year ago

          For a start, you did.

          How is that not penalising us? How is that fair or equitable?

          Who is “us” if not Pakeha?