TV3: Seemingly prepared to help the Nats with a dirty deal
I’m a big defender of our media. I’ve copped some flak for it, but I think that on the whole our reporters do a reasonably good job and are free from bias (but! but! Paddy Gower! That guy hates [insert party I like here].
I’m not certain that that’s true of the head-offices though.
For you see, Steven Joyce has just appointed a new press secretary. And that press secretary is current TV3 reporter Rachel Morton who has been with TV3 for like, forever (at least 5 years if memory serves). This is not a secret. TV3 knows it, but hasn’t actually formally announced it. And all the Press Gallery know. Not only has TV3 put their fingers in their ears and not announced it Mark Jennings hasn’t even acknowledged it’s happening. Despite this, they’re making Rachel stay two months before she can leave. Now I understand from talking to gallery folk that she’s pretty keen to get started in her new role as press sec for the most overrated MP in the world, but nope. Not allowed.
HOWEVER
On the other side of this we have Rebecca Wright. Who is another TV3 reporter. Except she’s taken a role with TVNZ. And TV3 could not be keener to get her the hell out the door. She’s serving a notice-period of two weeks. Why?
Because TV3 doesn’t want to provide any help whatsoever to TVNZ. They don’t want Rebecca lining up any stories, being kind to sources etc for any longer than TV3 has to. So she gets out in two weeks.
But it seems that TV3 are quite prepared to have a future Press Sec for one of the most important Ministers in Government hang around for two months. Can we watch her stories and truly trust them knowing that she’s off to be a Nat Press Sec in 8 weeks?
Is TV3 trying to do a DIRTY DEAL ON US AND RACHEL?
