A shameless Government plug masquerades as a news item
NewstalkZB, Friday 5 April 2013, 8:00 A.M.
NewstalkZB, Friday 5 April 2013, 8:00 A.M.
“There is NO DANGER that the prospect of the smelter closing will affect the price for Mighty River Power shares!”
No, that was not, as you might think, a Government-paid advertisement; it was a chirpy and bright announcement by one Niva Retimanu reading the 8 a.m. “news” on the government mouthpiece NewstalkZB.
The “news” item that followed that gushing headline consisted of an interview with a very upbeat Brian Gaynor, who amplified the positivity of the advertisement, errr, headline. According to the financial guru, there is nothing but good news to be had from the flogging off of this asset.
There will have been many—maybe most—listeners to that piece of bright positive “analysis” who will have imagined that Gaynor was a trustworthy and disinterested commentator on this matter. In fact, he is the chairman of Milford Asset Management’s Investment Committee and head of Milford’s portfolio management and investment analysis, and as such stands to trouser some handsome fees from his involvement in the selling off of the publicly owned power company.
It is difficult to decide which party comes out of this sordid little charade looking shabbier and dodgier. Nobody really expects serious or reliable journalism from NewstalkZB, but surely Gaynor has a reputation to think about; mouthing dishonest platitudes on a notoriously partisan radio station is certainly not going to enhance it.
Anyone who is interested in complaining about this naked partisanship by NewstalkZB might like to click on the following…
http://bsa.govt.nz/complaints/formal-complaint
http://bsa.govt.nz/complaints/formal-complaint
