Winston Peters is bang on with media trust

The Taxpayers’ Union is backing the Deputy Prime Minister’s criticism of the media’s acceptance of so-called “public interest journalism” funding and is calling on all profitable media outlets to pay the money back via a petition at www.taxpayers.org.nz/pay_it_back

Taxpayers' Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, said:

“The issue was never about bribing newsrooms, it was about the public’s confidence in media and the perceptions of independence from Government.

“The pandemic is over and most media outlets are now back in the black. We say, not just for the sake of taxpayers, but the sake of ensuring the public keep both confidence in mainstream media, and are not driven into nasty or fringe alternatives, take the opportunity to pay the money back.

“And it’s not just Winston Peters stoking concerns. The fact that the left wing activists on NZ on Air’s board set the fishhooks and conditions of PJIF funding is further reason to for the media to break from the past, pay back the money, and re-commit to independence from government.”