I've been critical of television news and the quality of it before, but lately the broadcasts on TVs One and 3 have hammered home to me why the words "media" and "circus" go together so well.
One News is aptly named for the one side of the story they choose to give you, and 3 News is, in my opinion, ironically, three times worse.
Both channels are becoming increasingly guilty of confusing news with views. More and more I am witness to journalists hell bent on trying to disguise their personal opinion as fact in the hope we will believe it to be the truth.
One TV 3 journalist (barely worthy of the title), Patrick Gower, might as well be wearing a politically logo-ed "onesie" while waving the party flag. All that's missing is the giant wind fan, causing him to lean in the direction that he hopes his loose interpretation of the facts will encourage you to vote.
When quoting poll figures, Paddy, with his special brand of spin, even manages to add the "don't know" percentage of the vote to the figure that best represents his preference in a neat piece of creative accounting.
And, as for the smirk he is always wearing, might I suggest he slip into something more comfortable ... like a coma.
Asset sales are a prime example. Like it or not, National swept into power with every (informed) voter aware of their intentions. After one botched attempt, those opposed mustered the numbers necessary to force a costly referendum - 300,000 signatures, way less than 10 per cent of the population. Yet headlines on both networks report this meagre number as sending a clear signal to the government that nearly all of New Zealand is against the sales. You simply need to be loud. Just make enough noise to attract media attention and, voila, the minority suddenly become the voice of us all, the silent majority.
Another example would be David Bain. A verdict of not guilty miraculously translates into sensational headlines of innocence, wrongful imprisonment and financial compensation. Not guilty and innocent are two completely different things - and that is not a matter of opinion, it's a fact.
Time and time again, we are subjected to reports like this, where the real facts get lost in translation and orchestrated spin, or else are turned into highly emotive drivel that take precedent over the real story.
Just how low will these networks go for the sake of a headline, or should that be headlie? Any hope of actually knowing what's really going on in the world via these channels is all but gone.
Perhaps if TVNZ hadn't sent at least seven "reporters" at great expense to cover the America's Cup, they may have had enough money in the budget to continue airing real news the way it should be presented, courtesy of the BBC.
And, so, back to the beginning. My lifeform got taken for a ride all right, in more ways than one. Worth every penny? Maybe not - which just goes to show you can't believe everything you hear.
And finally, in breaking news, New Zealand television news, itself, is sadly broken. Many reports may be wildly inaccurate, forcing network bosses to consider a change of name - to "Views". Speaking of which, I always welcome yours; email me at investik8@gmail.com
For the Wanganui Chronicle, this is Kate Stewart.
Kate Stewart is an unemployed, reluctant mother of three, currently running amok in the city ... approach with caution or cheesecake.
