PIJF – Public Interest Journalism Fund
Today the Tax Payers Union, headed by Jordan Williams, has circulated an email saying they have sources inside the coalition government who are saying that a bail out for Newshub is a consideration, and / or the government is to provide a permanent subsidy for media companies. Why?
We’ve circulated the email through our online channels, and the idea has been met with absolute disbelief.
Is Luxon about to commit political suicide?
Melissa Lee has already been put in her place by Winston Peters, and there is no way (in our view), that Winston Peters would ever allow such a bail out.
The tax payer already provides subsides to TVNZ, Maori TV, and RNZ. Will we subsidies them all? TVNZ and some of its programs are a story for another day. (Maybe 7 Sharp should go instead of Sunday).
The PIJF for the most part has been a total failure, as the massive amount of funds pumped into the local MSM has not made for a viable business, rather it has eroded the trust that the tax payer has in the NZ media.
A bail out in the current economic climate for a business segment that has become, in so many people eyes, untrustworthy, would surely see the coalition placed in a position that makes it untenable.
Trust in the NZ media is at an all time low, and tax payers funding a bail out for Newshub would be seen as kick in the balls.
Is Luxon that stupid? Some say yes he is.
But, would Winston Peters ever allow such a waste of tax payers funds? We say definitely not. Ever.
The MSM in NZ needs to understand that their business models are unworkable, not profitable, and the Covid era is over.
As we reported yesterday, the Jacinda Ardern media days are over, and the sad reality is that the good investigative, non bias journalists are now out of work. Spring says “I know several investigative journalists, and they are gutted at being turfed into the same pot as the opinion journos… they are not in the same league”.
MSM judgement day is upon the industry.
The tax payer is NOT a continual bail out function. If the media gets more cash, could any industry ask? Where does it end?
In a time of austerity, bail outs should never be an option.
