You can’t really blame NZ First and Winston Peters for deciding to bypass a hostile and motivated media who want to be involved in politics without actually standing for office. It is the very reason why Whaleoil Editor Cameron Slater coined the term “Media Party” to describe them many years ago.
Donald Trump has had a nigh-on six-year media pile on, and so he bypasses media and speaks directly to voters. Winston Peters has decided to do the same thing.
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has continued his attack on the media and the National Party while en route to the G20 ministers’ meeting in Japan.
And the New Zealand First leader, who has been under pressure over donations to the party this week, has echoed US President Donald Trump by calling the media “fake news”.
Peters fired a barb yesterday before departing for Japan, saying on Twitter: “For the first time ever NZ will attend the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting, held this year in Japan. So we’re off to try and sort out the world. When we get back we’re going to sort out the media.”
This morning Peters elaborated, hitting out not only against the media, but also the National Party and suggesting National leader Simon Bridges was being hypocritical.
“One of the amazing things about New Zealand politics is just how hypocritical some people can be,” Peters said in a video clip posted to Twitter.
“For example Simon Bridges is attacking New Zealand First and me on the question of donations to the party. All these donations, of course, were under and in the limits defined by electoral law. We’ve met all requirements.
“But it’s him and his party that’s in front of the Serious Fraud Office and have been for eight long months, but you wouldn’t think so the way he’s carrying on at the moment.”
A Newspaper
If journalists from the Media Party want comments from NZ First or Winston Peters, they are now going to have trawl through their social media. No longer are they going to be able to take out of context quotes and tout them as news. Voters will be able to see what they’ve actually said without the filter of media.
The Media Party only has itself to blame. Jacinda Ardern dodges them with her videos and Facebook comments and now Winston Peters will do it too.
National is already doing it with their viral videos, so they can hardly complain.
Welcome to the new political communications environment, handed to you by a toxic media that revels in fake news.