New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern paid off media with $55 million

Nov 2021

Jacinta's $55 million public interest journalism fund creates is a conflict of interest. When does the corruption and propaganda end?

Clearly, discussion of the topic is not only in the public interest but also of interest to the public.

Nevertheless, it is extremely difficult to persuade senior members of the media and those administering the fund to accept there might be a problem — even if it is only the public’s perception of bias. The latter, of course, can be as damaging in practice as actual bias, given the media’s primary asset is the trust its audiences place in it for independent, truthful and unbiased coverage.