THE CORPORATE MEDIA IS JUST AS SPINELESS AS THE GOVERNMENT

In conducting a campaign of character assassination against Green Party co-leader Chloe Swarbrick, the corporate media has shown itself to be as equally spineless as the Government it continues to defend. 

 

THIS WEEK, the coalition Government's cheerleaders in the media launched what amounted to a campaign of character assassination against Green Party co-leader Chloe Swarbrick. Its amazing that this 31-year-old woman provokes so much fear in her political opponents, but apparently she does.

Swarbrick is not unfamiliar with being the subject of a concerted campaign of vilification. It wasn't so long ago that she was being described as 'anti-semitic' because she had the temerity to defend the Palestinian people in the besieged enclave of Gaza. This time, some of the very same people have been attacking her for describing the government as 'spineless' over Gaza. 

Newstalk ZB has long been a platform for National Party propaganda and with the general election drawing ever closer, its attacks on the Government's political opponents have become increasingly loud and intemperate. So this week Chloe Swarbrick was described by drivetime host Heather du Plessis-Allan as 'nuts' and 'crazy' (among other things) while overnight host Tim Beveridge ranted that Swarbrick was not only 'crazy'  but she was also 'dangerous'. Gosh.

Breakfast host Mike Hosking also had equally disparaging things to say about Swarbrick. He invited Act co-leader David Seymour on to his show so he too could attack her. It's worth noting that Seymour is a Zionist and denies that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. He is also one of Swarbrick's political opponents who have accused her of anti-semitism. It has been suggested Seymour was instrumental in blocking the Government from recognising Palestinian statehood.

Meantime, NZ Herald journalist and National Party supporter Audrey Young has accused Swarbrick of being 'selfish' and 'self-centred'. She also thinks that Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's failure to recognise Palestine as a sovereign state was a moment of triumph for Luxon. Work that one out.

In its failure to not only acknowledge that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza but actually defend Israel's actions, the New Zealand mainstream media has been as spineless as the Government it largely supports. 

It's not surprising, then, that the spineless corporate media cannot understand what having a spine means. Spine is measurable. It looks like targeted sanctions and visa bans for human rights violators. It looks like tightening export and import controls, and suspending any security cooperation. Furthermore, it means expelling the Israeli ambassador. It looks like recognising Palestine, and publicly backing international courts. It means joining The Hague Group, the coalition of countries seeking to make Israel accountable for its war crimes.  Until the Government does any of these things, its Gaza stance is posture without power. We end up with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon prepared to do nothing more than lamely accuse Israeli Prime Minister Bimyamin Netanhayu, of 'losing the plot'. Perhaps Luxon has forgotten that the International Criminal Court has charged Netanhayu with war crimes and issued a warrant for his arrest. The ICC thinks that the Israeli Prime Minister has done a lot more than just 'losing the plot'.

Chloe Swarbrick calling the Government spineless isn’t hyperbole. It’s an honest description. It's a pity, but not surprising, that the corporate media have declined to recognise that and decided to attack Swarbrick instead.