It is a truism of politics that a "partisan" is always a member of the opposite party. So, when a former contender for a Labour Party nomination is found to have held a small party gathering at the premises of his employer, Television New Zealand, the squeals of bias against
Editorial: Taurima controversy political overreach
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Shane Taurima. Photo / Paul Estcourt
TVNZ will face charges of political favouritism every election year. It has one of the biggest media voices in the country, is Crown-owned and is in fierce commercial competition. Its public ownership places an expectation of political neutrality beyond even the dictates of the Broadcasting Act. Any misstep can and will be taken by partisans as evidence of a breach of its duty.
The failings of political neutrality demonstrated by Shane Taurima cannot be visited upon the broader TVNZ newsroom and its political judgments. Say what you will about the general content across TVNZ news and current affairs programmes, with all the subjectivity and rushed preparation common to active news media, but political bias is not a tenable charge - for incumbent governments or against.
Some within National have broadened their criticisms beyond tut-tutting over Taurima and TVNZ to attempt to paint the Labour Party as deliberately misusing the public service for its own ends, using the apparatus of the state to get elected. There are repeated claims - denied outright - that Labour's leader, David Cunliffe, attended a party gathering in the TVNZ buildings. The partisan's purpose is to broaden the smear as wide as possible to suggest conspiracy.
We have about eight months until the general election, a poll that will, inevitably, be close because of the MMP system. Mainstream news media will be criticised from all quarters for alleged party political bias. The public should see such claims for what they are. Shane Taurima has provided the first ammunition but his case is a singularly misguided blurring of personal and professional interests.