The Peevish Face of Mainstream Media

Why Mainstream Media Continues to Bleed Public Confidence

Some of the reporting around the social media comments by Green MP Benjamin Doyle has been interesting but none so peevish nor judgemental of the way in which the story has developed as that from the pen (or keyboard) of Audrey Young Herald Senior Political Correspondent in the Herald for 1 April 2025.

Ms Young develops her argument by way of a wide range of criticisms of the way in which this story developed. But what is truly concerning are these remarks:

Those cowardly keyboard warriors who spend their time jumping to conclusions - and hammering the mainstream media for not jumping to the same conclusions - know that not every photo of a queer person kissing a child is something to be alarmed about.

They should know that queer people have children too.

Those keyboard warriors should know that just because mainstream news outlets have not published a story, it does not mean that they have not asked questions or been working on it.

It may be that questions were asked, and answers were given.

It may well be that a story is of such importance and sensitivity that it is being considered by the lawyers.

Sometimes decisions not to cover stories are made not to protect the subject of the story or to protect a political party but because of journalistic ethics.

These are the comments of a self-righteous journalist who doesn’t like the idea that the online community and commentators developed the story first and then put pressure on mainstream media to report it.

Only when the Deputy Prime Minister commented on the issue did anyone in the MSM sit up and take notice.

Ms Young tries to excuse the delay – or reluctance of MSM to engage – by referring to the fact that MSM may have been looking into the matter or the story may not have been published because of journalistic ethics.

These “journalistic ethics” didn’t get in the way of MSM ferociously jumping on the bandwagon when the Golriz Ghahraman Pak N’Save allegation arose.

And as has been pointed out by citizen journalists – the keyboard warriors so despised by Ms Young – “If Doyle were a right-wing politician, one can only imagine the outrage and wall-to-wall coverage condemning him “ and, as veteran journalist Peter Williams states

“Why did it take from Friday till Monday morning to have any reaction to the post on X? Why aren’t the photos of Doyle with the boy, and the associated comments, being published on the Herald, Stuff and RNZ websites? Why is the angle of the story now Swarbrick’s attack on Peters?”

In her disparagement of “cowardly keyboard warriors” Ms Young herself and MSM in general demonstrate why it is that trust in MSM is at an all-time low; why it is that MSM is seen as partial and biassed; why it is that MSM rather than being the servants of the public would rather be their masters, denying the public the information that it requires and drip-feeding out the information that it thinks the public “needs to know”.

The Doyle matter is hardly what one would call dinner table conversation and Doyle and the Greens, especially the demonstrative, voluble and evasive Chloe Swarbrick, have their own problems to deal with and the wider community will look on with interest.

But the outburst by Ms Young does neither her nor NZME nor MSM any good nor benefit.

Perhaps the changes sought by Mr Grenon and other shareholders in NZME will reverse the decline of public confidence in MSM.

Ms Young’s piece does nothing to do that.