For 15 years, Indian Newslink has punched well above its weight among New Zealand media publications.
The fortnightly newspaper caters for the 155,000 or so Kiwis of Indian heritage who live, work, play and run businesses in New Zealand.
In addition, Indian Newslink publishes the Indian Newslink Fastfind Business Directory each year and organises and promotes the now famous Annual Indian Newslink Indian Business Awards.
Since 2011, the newspaper has also been organising the Annual Sir Anand Satyanand Lecture, which encourages necessary debate about the standards of governance and accountability in New Zealand Government and Business.
The newspaper launched the Indian Newslink Indian Sports Awards in 2012 and I understand that this annual event has been gaining popularity and importance among the wider Indian community, especially lovers of sports.
In their own modest way, Indian Newslink Managing Director and Publisher Ravin Lal and Editor Venkat Raman are crusaders for truth and justice, and take seriously their responsibilities to their readers and to the New Zealand business community and culture.
Traditional Values
What is to be admired greatly is their adherence to the traditional values of the Fourth Estate. When Venkat wants to know about an issue, he personally interviews the participants and reports what they say. What he does not do is substitute unsubstantiated email, Twitter and Facebook comments for proper journalism.
During the run up to the recent New Zealand election, Venkat was neither swayed by the storm of online media commentary nor diverted by stolen emails.
He continued to provide a level playing field in Indian Newslink for all political viewpoints and comments. As it turned out, his editorials accurately judged the mood of the majority of voters by stating (under its Viewlink), “The voting public want politicians to confine their campaigning to policies and programmes and not personalities.”
Disturbing trends
However, this highlights two disturbing trends, which had an impact on all of us.
First, in the lead up to the election the traditional media comprising APN, Fairfax, both TV channels and the ubiquitous talkback radio, were completely in the thrall of the online media hubbub; for nearly a month, McLuhan ruled (read explanation under footnote) and the medium was indeed the message.
For four vital weeks, neither Labour nor National could get their policy messages across. Arguably, Labour was the big loser, for despite the main thrust of the media storm targeting National, and the Prime Minister (John Key) in particular, it was Labour who badly needed the ear of the voter and did not get it.
The media let us all down badly by focusing on unsubstantiated email opinions expressed online and in print by a variety of odious characters, when they should have been providing their readership and viewership with rigorous and insightful analysis of all party policies.
Instead, we had the unedifying spectacle of journalists’ desperately seeking yet another ‘gotcha’ moment at the expense of informing their readers and viewers about how New Zealand might or might not be governed.
Gullible media
Ironically, it is now clear that the media in general was more gullible than the voting public. Or perhaps not. It is now almost two months since the Election. Parliament is sitting once more, new Parliamentarians have given maiden speeches; the path to be followed by the National-led Government for the next three years has been outlined by the Governor-General, Her Majesty’s Representative.
Now is the time for critical evaluation of the Government’s plans.
But editorial and opinion pieces in both major newspapers are still rehashing the stories, which excited them during the election campaign.
It makes you wonder if they were not paying attention on September 20, 2014. The election has occurred. A significant voting majority has had its say.
It is Monty Pythonesque to continue to deny the bleeding obvious. The voting public deserve better journalism than this.
In the meantime, as readers have for the last 15 years, we can rely on Venkat and Indian Newslink to continue to report objectively in his columns.
The pages of this newspaper will continue to be available to the political, business and cultural issues, which affect ordinary Kiwis and those of Indian heritage in particular.
Venkat will continue to publish all points of view with neither fear nor favour. Even with the other important South Pacific election in Fiji, he managed to navigate the not- inconsiderable sensitivities and report professionally.
Long may it continue.
Chad Wilkie is Executive Director of Ignition Partner, a Consultancy firm based in Auckland. He is Chairman of Panel of Judges of the Indian Newslink Indian Business Awards and an experienced adviser to Chief Executives of companies on shaping businesses for growth, and structuring deals to achieve business growth.
Mr Wilkie has been a great source of inspiration for hundreds of small, medium and large businesses to enter our Awards Scheme. He conducts free Workshops (hosted by BNZ, our Title Sponsor), which not only motivate participants to file their entries in various categories but also enables them to realise the importance of having in place a sound Business Plan and Growth Strategy. He also evinces keen interest in the Annual Indian Newslink Sir Anand Satyanand Lecture.
Herbert Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980) was a Canadian philosopher of communication theory and a public intellectual. His work is viewed as one of the cornerstones of the study of media theory with practical applications in advertising and television. His coinage, ‘Medium is the Message,’ and ‘Global Village’ have become popular expressions.
