Key backs Hosking over bias claims
Prime Minister John Key has dismissed Opposition claims that broadcaster Mike Hosking is politically biased.
‘‘Personally I think that view is nonsense, that there’s bias,’’ Key said. ‘‘In my experience it doesn’t matter what the personal views are of the journalist – they’ll ask the hard questions.’’
The debate over Hosking’s opinions was sparked by an opinion piece NZ First leader Winston Peters wrote for the New Zealand Herald.
Peters said Hosking’s ‘‘jowls are up the prime minister’s cheeks’’ and that the ‘‘quality of public debate suffers’’ because Hosking plays the role of ‘‘National Party stooge’’.
Labour leader Andrew Little and Green Party co-leader James Shaw backed Peters.
Little said Hosking made ‘‘no attempt at objectivity,’’ while Shaw said it was ‘‘pretty obvious’’ Hosking was biased and there weren’t any balancing voices with the same reach. Hosking is yet to comment on the claims.
Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce also entered the argument over Hosking’s objectivity on Twitter.
Joyce said: ‘‘Opposition politicians outraged that a commentator is allowed to have a different view to them’’.
Joyce responded to critics on Twitter by suggesting they wanted ‘‘no opinions of any kind on govtowned media outlets’’.
Hosking delivers his opinions twice daily via his Newstalk ZB morning show – which also appear on the Herald website - and on TVNZ’s Seven Sharp.
His comments are not confined to politics, although he often tackles political and economic stories, giving his view on issues and events.
During the 2014 election campaign, Labour initially objected to having Hosking as the moderator of a leaders’ debate.
Key said Labour complained about Hosking leading up to the debate and then when he asked hard questions of Key the opposition ‘‘claimed victory’’ and said he was a great interviewer.
‘‘The sooner the opposition parties realise that actually it’s not the media they’re at war with but it’s convincing the New Zealand public of the merits in their arguments, the better,’’ he said.
On his Kiwiblog website, National Party pollster David Farrar said at the time it was ‘‘pretty obvious[ly] that Mike Hosking has a centre-right worldview – just as John Campbell has a centre-left worldview’’.
Little said Hosking’s dominance across so many media platforms was of concern.
‘‘The point is that Mike Hosking is extremely influential because of his involvement with Newstalk ZB, TVNZ and the Herald.’’
Little accused Hosking of being ‘‘totally aligned to the Government of the day’’ and showing ‘‘no attempt at objectivity’’. At fault was ‘‘broadcast media having opinionated people holding prime slots,’’ he said.
Little said politicians had to work within the media landscape they were given and Parliament didn’t ‘‘control the media and nor should we’’.
Shaw said the whole media industry was going through a period of ‘‘huge turmoil’’ and the result was a move away from reporting towards editorialising.
‘‘The question is whether Mike thinks of himself more as an opinion leader than a journalist,’’ Shaw said.