6 posts tagged “fairfax”

Some more photos to share from around Wellington, New Zealand, and to show it’s not always sunny!

   This is actually Chews Lane but I thought it was strange seeing a second sign, on the opposite side, reading Tow Away Lane—but in the style of a regular street-name sign. Hence the filename Odd Name for a Street. Across the road is the local HQ for the Fairfax Press.    A lot of cities have fleets of so-called “green cabs” and Wellington is no exception. There are these ugly little eggs running around called Toyota Priuses, which may have looked good for about, ooh, one Oscar telecast’s arrivals. After that, they got pretentious.
   This one has the licence plate 0 SMOG. But it’s a hybrid, so when the petrol engine is in play, it does generate something out of the exhaust, surely? I know we have unleaded fuel and catalytic converters, but from what little I know of emissions this still generates more pollution than the regular Ford Falcon LPG cabs that run around Wellington—which, technically, should have this plate. If Wellington’s main taxi company is clever, it can tell us how many LPG Falcons it has running and compare the quantity to the fleet of these Green Cabs.
   I think Green Cabs is doing a good thing, generally, and certainly a Prius’s interior room is sufficient for most journeys, but I can remember the 1980s when most cabs here ran on natural gas, be they Holdens or Fords, and generated far less pollution than modern cars. We have, of course, the National Government of the 1990s to thank for their demise, and the Labour Government to continue its “rival’s” (ha ha) folly.    People my age will remember the Trades’ Hall and how it was the site of a bombing in the mid-1980s. Caretaker Ernie Abbott was the victim of the after-hours blast. I don’t think it was ever solved and I wonder if it qualifies as our first terrorist bombing.
   Trevor Loudon shares some theories on his blog but he admits they are hearsay. He refutes the rumour that it was a right-wing group and instead points to Marxists and various pro-Soviet groups committed to unseating the Muldoon Government. The irony is that the Labour Government that followed proved more anti-union and right-wing than they might have expected. One commenter on Mr Loudon’s blog wrote, ‘If your theory is true Trevor then the irony of the outcome was classic. They got a Labour Government alright, but it contained good’uns like Douglas, Prebble, Bassett, De Cleene, Caygill & Moore.’
   However, Loudon is also right in responding, ‘True Spirit, but the Soviets also got NZ's anti nuclear policies and the destruction of ANZUS. Which do you think the Soviets cared about most?’
   Whatever the case, we began losing a lot of our values and the integrity of our national system that decade, after the change in government. We can trace the growing gap between rich and poor right back to 1984, when we moved from a reasonably egalitarian and fair society to one which has an underclass and domination by foreign corporations.

Good signs: the Irish newspaper (The New Zealand Herald) has been pretty supportive of Laural Barrett so far and I was interested to read that the Murdoch Press has been positive in its coverage of Miss New Zealand, quoting Miss Australia Kimberly Busteed. It’s in stark contrast to how Fairfax treated Laural after her win, though a few weeks ago, she did rate a footnote in the Australian newspaper group’s Stuff website.

[Cross-posted] A contact of mine, Kip Brook, has been good enough to write, and have published, a far more positive article about Laural Barrett, Miss Universe New Zealand 2007. Let’s say it’s more balanced. In the short time I have known Kip, I have known him to be a decent bloke, and I am grateful he has written something that focuses on the real Laural, yet mentions the controversy that the Australian newspaper kicked up last week.
   The story ran in Fairfax’s Sunday Star–Times and today in The Press. It follows on nicely from the 60 Minutes report on TV3, which has had some positive feedback.
   It’s not all nice-nice with John Fairfax today, however. I was made privy to an email—I will not state the writer—but I will say that if Fairfax journalists cannot spell enquiry, controversial and adult when writing in an official capacity, then they should not be in the job. (We are not talking slips of the finger. We are talking dumbass stuff.) The matter has been dealt with—with some ease, I might add.
   My new title is Miss Universe New Zealand Pageant Ass-Kicker. That’s kicker.

As I told Laural Barrett, our Miss Universe New Zealand, tonight, I’m the stroppy bastard that she can put media on to in the absence of Val Lott, pageant director, who is on vacation in Blenheim. Does that make me Acting Director? Ooh …!
   Well, even as a judge, I have a few things to say about the way Laural was treated. As we chatted, I realized that she did handle herself very well against the media, from what she relayed to me. She was pretty stoked about the 154,000 references she has in Google, especially when I told her that my 220,000 has come from 20 years of hard slog.
   And it seems that the only media who are interested in pulling her down are the foreign-owned ones, such as John Fairfax’s The Press. Canwest’s TV3 was more muted in their reporting, but whatever the case, all of it stems from a story in which Laural was misquoted and many relevant facts omitted.
   So what is the difference between a broadsheet and a tabloid in New Zealand?
   The paper size.
   Val was a bit concerned at what Miss Universe LP, LLLP would think of it all, so I fired off the below to a few international media outlets after discussing it with her. The story will probably disappear after this. Especially if there are nude photos of Miss Slovak Republic, Lucia Senášiová, around the place.

Foreign media in New Zealand attack beauty queen

No story here, says Miss Universe New Zealand pageant

Wellington, April 5 (JY&A Media) Today’s domestic media coverage over a 2005 incident involving Laural Barrett, the newly crowned Miss Universe New Zealand 2007, is a ‘non-event’, according to judge and Lucire publisher Jack Yan, speaking on behalf of the pageant.
   He says that it was no surprise to find a story today trying to discredit Miss Barrett in The Press, a Christchurch-based newspaper owned by Australian media group Fairfax.
   Mr Yan believes that Miss Barrett was targeted by parties who feel that beauty pageants are politically incorrect.
   ‘I’ve spoken to Laural Barrett today, and she has handled this like a seasoned media professional. The anti-pageant crowd has failed again.’
   Mr Yan says the negative press has proved that Laural Barrett is not only the right Miss New Zealand, she is potentially the right Miss Universe.
   He explains that New Zealand and Australia have a cultural quirk called the ‘tall poppy syndrome’. The story needs to be considered in its light to avoid being libellous, according to both Mr Yan and pageant director Val Lott, currently on leave.
   Mr Yan says that any New Zealander familiar with the syndrome will recognize the story for what it is, but is worried that those outside the country will read in impropriety where there is none.
   ‘[The syndrome] is where someone who stands out is criticized and compelled to merge into mediocrity,’ he explains. ‘It exists less and less, but tends to get propagated, almost exclusively, by foreign-owned media in New Zealand.
   Mr Yan equates the syndrome to jantelagen in Scandinavian countries, especially Denmark and Sweden.
   The Press had revealed an incident in 2005 where it was alleged that Miss Barrett had mistakenly given away a pair of shoes while working at a retailer, but had worded it to sensationalize the matter.
   ‘If you were 18 and under duress, then it is not hard for a corporation to make you look bad.
   ‘No charges were laid because she was innocent, and whether The Press likes it or not, in New Zealand, it’s not about guilty till proved innocent.
   ‘Any normal New Zealander will appreciate that fact.’
   Mr Yan says that international media and the blogosphere need to take care in reporting the story.
   ‘The Miss Universe Organization should think of this as a Rosie O’Donnell moment,’ he says, referring to a recent incident where TV talk show host Rosie O’Donnell attacked Miss Universe pageant owner Donald Trump.
   ‘At the end of the day, this was a minor story by a foreign-owned newspaper,’ says Mr Yan. ‘The Press would probably be far happier doing a story fêting Jennifer Hawkins,’ he says, referring to a former Miss Australia and Miss Universe 2004.
   ‘Circulation of newspapers is generally falling, and just as Fairfax chose to republish the Mohammed cartoons last year, it has chosen to publish a non-story this year.’
   He says the incident must be embarrassing for The Press, as he and Ms Lott have heard from New Zealand businesses that have immediately taken Miss Barrett’s side.
   ‘I think the Fairfax Press has alienated potential advertisers today and that seems to have been the first consequence.
   ‘The second consequence is that they have proven that Laural Barrett is a discerning young woman, and have provided her with even more grounding to be the next Miss Universe.
   ‘I won’t go so far as to thank them, but it’s certainly helped Laural,’ says Mr Yan.

I am pissed at the pathetic, envious little worms who tricked a journo into writing this, and even more pissed at a deceptive headline which, in any other country, would be laughed at.
   But hey, it’s like the Mohammed cartoons all over again. Newspaper circulation falling. Journalist wanting to get editor’s attention.
   The added ingredient is a 20-year-old girl who has been thrust into the limelight and cannot defend herself.
   Well, whether she can or not, I am outraged. And I have already issued my response. All this has done is piss off The Press’s own advertisers, if the response I am hearing from Christchurch businesses is anything to go by.
   It illustrates the danger of foreign ownership of our media and how out of touch The Press is.
   To the Miss Universe people: this is not a story. This is just what we New Zealanders call the tall poppy syndrome. People dragging down other people because of their success. It is a cultural thing, but the bottom line is, nothing happened.
   And since Mr Trump and I have plenty of mutual friends within and outside the Organization, I think you can take my word as gospel.
   Just a domestic equivalent of the whole Rosie O’Donnell thing, Donald, but done at a much more pathetic scale.
   Of course, I have to make a statement since Val is in Blenheim and I am the only ready media commentator from the pageant.

Judge defends Miss Universe New Zealand Laural Barrett

Wellington, April 5 (JY&A Media) Lucire publisher Jack Yan, who was a judge at last Saturday's Miss Universe New Zealand pageant, says that certain parties in Christchurch have acted ‘despicably’ in trying to smear the winner, Laural Barrett.
   Miss Barrett was reported in The Press today as having been sacked from a shoe store, Wild Pair, in a 2005 incident.
   ‘I wonder if this does Laural more damage, or Wild Pair's brand,’ he says.
   ‘It sounds to me like The Press is indulging a few insecure Cantabrians in a case of guilty till proved innocent. They are trying to drag down Laural and Wild Pair.’
   Mr Yan says, ‘The simple fact is that no wrongdoing occurred if neither Miss Barrett nor her sister were charged. Any right-minded New Zealander would see that that was obvious.’
   Mr Yan says he agrees with pageant director Val Lott that the story was an example of ‘tall poppy syndrome’ but added that he was disappointed that the matter even emerged.
   ‘I am surprised it still happens. It's 2007, for crying out loud. People are not interested in non-events,’ he says.
   ‘Miss Barrett is up to 100,000 Google references, which is the fastest rise I have seen of any New Zealander. Inevitably, there will be backlashes from some quarters.
   ‘The judges fully support her. The pageant fully supports her. And from what I can tell from the night, and from the reactions I have had publicly, the majority of New Zealand supports her.
   ‘We are talking about a tiny, fringe element bullying a 20-year-old for something she is innocent of doing.’
   Mr Yan believes that Miss Barrett will be a ‘fabulous’ ambassador for New Zealand. ‘I have already made bets with one other pageant owner on how well Laural will place,’ he says.
   He says that there are Christchurch businesses who have who have been similarly disturbed by the story and have reached out positively to Miss Barrett.

The Fairfax press has an update on Bruce Robinson from early this month:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/3916020a12.html

   Among the quotes:

… A spokeswoman from the Foreign Affairs Ministry confirmed that his visiting rights had been extended to include friends as well as family. 
   His parents, David and Carol Robinson, last visited him in October, but refused to talk about the case, which the ministry and New Zealand's embassy in Warsaw were working to resolve. …
   Mr Robinson was being represented by company lawyers from Expomedia.

   I suppose that is something, and I certainly don’t want to speak ill of the diplomatic mission, whom I am sure is doing all it can. However, such a high-profile case deserves high-profile intervention, which it has hitherto lacked from our Foreign Minister-outside-Cabinet.
   Expomedia is the British company that Bruce Robinson worked for.