Vision
Our Vision: a Media Environment in NZ that is safe for all:
free of gratuitous sex, violence, and offensive language.
So parents can trust what their children see.
Newsletter - Summer 2024
By John Terris
Dec 2024
KIA ORA FOLKS
I am a voracious opinion reader and discovered recently that two writers Phil O’Reilly and Max Rashbrooke, from opposite ends of the political spectrum, are saying exactly the same thing about our democratic landscape, which makes me think.
Both are saying, in different contexts, that it is time to bring the public into decision making much more. Says O’Reilly, a Business advocate (Sunday Star Times 21/10/24) “We need to bring the public more into the game,…. then we might all hold our politicians into account more effectively.” In similar vein, Rashbrooke, a University researcher, (The Post, 16/11/24) declares that “Top down, one-way politics is a 20th Century hangover. We need more opportunities for ordinary people to come together … and play a meaningful part in decision making”.
News - Summer 2024
By John Terris
Nov 2024
ALL QUIET ON THE MEDIA FRONT
A month ago there was a serious set-to between Google representatives in NZ, and our local news media industry because of the intention of the Government to require social media news gatherers like Google, Facebook, Meta and X and the other Greed-Is-Good tribe, to help themselves to the reportage of our local sources without fee. The Fair Bargaining Digital Bargaining Bill (big ups again to Minister Goldsmith) will make them pay as they have to do already in most well-run countries.
If you think Social Media deserve some payback for the free services they offer you, maybe think again, because without your knowing it they have already harvested all your personal details and preferences and susceptibilities, without paying for them, and are now selling consumer goods back to you selectively with unwanted on-line advertising.
How did that happen?
News - Summer 2024
By John Terris
Nov 2024
GOOD NEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA CURBS
It is a matter of real satisfaction that Minister Paul Goldsmith has undertaken to introduce legislation against stalkers, including those on line, before the end of the year.
For too long, our kids have been victims of the predations of creepy-peepers on the social media, who get their joliies from threatening and bullying vulnerable young women.
Parents will certainly welcome this move which is timely, especially after moves from the Australian Government to ban the use of mobile phone use among under 16 year olds, a move which parents here would undoubtedly welcome.
It's unlikely to happen here, of course, because the present Coalition government is being led by the nose by its partners NZ First and ACT, who both see votes among powerful lobby groups and their supporters in this country those who favour Individual Freedom, whether it's licencing Threats To Kill on social media, or allowing widespread purchase of Automatic rifles for the likes of the Mosque Murderer.
Newsletter - Winter 2024
By John Terris
Aug 2024
KIA ORA FOLKS
SOME GOOD NEWS from THE MEDIA SCENE IN N.Z. PAUL GOLDSMITH, MINISTER OF BROADCASTING has announced government support for the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill which offers a lifeline for our local media after the illegal predations of the last few years of the International Internet Scammers , also known as Google, Facebook and Twitter(like criminals everywhere they also adopt aliases, as in X, Meta etc), who steal others content without paying for it.
Newsletter - Summer 2023
By John Terris
Dec 2023
EDITORIAL
The employment court in NZ has heard some rather shaming evidence from microbiologist Dr Siouxie Wiles about the on-line abuse to which she was subject for her media commentary during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Newsletter - Winter 2023
By John Terris
Jul 2023
GUNNING FOR SOCIAL MEDIA
There is a period of consultation now under way here, on what is to be done in Aotearoa, running till the end of July. Early out of the blocks, following the release of a DIA Discussion Document on Media regulation at the beginning of June, have been some newspapers, who suggested that this was an attack on press freedom (which may be a tiny exaggeration, since mainstream media will remain as free as they are now, according to the document).
Newsletter - Spring 2022
By John Terris
Oct 2022
AOTEAROA PUBLIC MEDIA BILL
From the large sums being thrown around in the debate over the Aotearoa Public Media Bill merging TVNZ and RNZ, it might appear that Public Media would best serve taxpayers by self-destructing.
Newsletter - Winter 2022
By John Terris
May 2022
THE GRUMPY OLD BLOKE RATES NEWREADERS
Radio NZ is blest with a whole host of mainly woman newsreaders. Their honed vowels and honeyed tones freight the news to us without a hint of dramedy, as befits a recitation of what is supposed to be the facts. Their names are as melodious as their voice - Catriona Mcleod, Anna Thomas, Evie Ashton and Marama Tipoli. Balm for the troubled soul.
Editorial - April 2022
By John Terris
April 2022
RE PUBLIC MEDIA
Our P.M. and her intended, Clarke Gayford, are set to Tie the Knot soon and we cannot but wish them well. A certain amount of begetting (to borrow an Old Testament word) has already been going on, and is named “Neve”, a strong single syllable word, which somehow signals satisfaction all round.
Newsletter - Autumn 2022
By John Terris
April 2022
DEPRIVATIZING THE MEDIA
It’s interesting that media and politicians are the two institutions singled out for particular vilification by the parliamentary protesters. These are the two most obvious targets likely to be singled out by the disaffected in any society under stress, as ours has been through the pandemic.
Newsletter - Summer 2022
By John Terris
January 2022
THE INVISIBLE INVASION
I’m not one of those people addicted to prophesies of armageddon on the internet, but what has been going on over the last 10 years with global media mega companies like Google and Facebook, can be likened to the activities centuries ago of those countries of Europe, including the British empire, who colonised vast swathes of the rest of the world. In both cases national governments turned an indifferent eye while the likes of the British East India Company, and the New Zealand Company took licence to exploit the rights of others to their living space, and exploited it for private profit.
