David Cunliffe – 
I would like to congratulate Indian Newslink and its loyal staff and readership on 16 years of service to the New Zealand Indian community, and maintaining a consistently high level of quality journalism that has helped build cross-cultural understanding across our many diverse communities.
It is an honour to contribute to the 16th Anniversary Special of this newspaper and respond to the question: ‘Will social websites replace conventional media?’
Indeed, it is an appropriate time to consider the challenges placed on traditional media in today’s environment. The dual challenges of diminishing circulation and new media eating into revenue streams are accentuated by a cynical and systematic attack on the fourth estate by political forces.
The need for conventional media to rebuild a collaborative ethos for journalism has never been more acute.
Reconnecting TE
Since a bruising campaign in 2014, it has been my privilege to reconnect with the Tertiary Education, Innovation and Research sectors, as well as to tour our regions promoting sustainable jobs and growth.
It has also been an opportunity to step back, reflect and observe from a relative distance just how National’s spin machine operates.
A timely reflection on the media’s role in last year’s election shows the importance of an independent media to a healthy democracy. An independent media that holds the government of the day to account, allows the opposition to communicate with the electorate free of bias or spin, and actively seeks to present a balanced view of political issues as they emerge.
Biased Media houses
Let’s dispose of some ready counter arguments. It is true with the benefit of hindsight the Left didn’t help itself in some respects. Never take a sword to a gunfight, they say, and the Left lacked the funding and distributed political armoury that the Right had so systematically built – its massive war chest, the blogosphere and the media. With one year to run, there was insufficient time to energise our base and reach enough uncommitted voters with the resources we had.
It seemed uncanny at the time how most of the prime time media slots were filled with rightist “broadcasters” (they disavowed any claim to journalism) conveniently before the election.
By contrast, I appreciated John Armstrong’s apology for his part in the setup in which our largest daily was deeply complicit. A status quo media bias is, as Russell Norman noted in his valedictory, not unexpected, but that does not reduce its risk to a democratic society.
Nor has that rot, apparently, stopped. Just ask Carol Hirshfeld, Julian Wilcox, John Campbell, Brian Rudman or John Drinnan. What’s next? Will the NZ On Air Board, overseen by the Prime Minister’s electorate chairman gradually de-fund the national radio broadcaster overseen by a former prime minister’s chief press secretary?
Tipping game
The same machine that dealt the Left such a body blow last year is alive and well, continuing its penetration of the media and commentariat, and its gradual wind-down of the Westminster tradition.
Politics is always a tipping game. The incumbent government builds up snafus and scar tissue, harbours or spends political capital, and gradually slips or is worked to a tipping point.
The more it has used media influence, patronage and Washington rather than Westminster constitutional rules, not to mention deniable skulduggery, the more it can arguably postpone – but not avoid – that tipping point.
The longer it lasts, the harder it tips.
How long that takes is up to all of us, working together for the common good.
For a smart, high income economy and good jobs in all our regions.
For fairness and decency in the workplace.
For a sustainable environment and a planet worthy of our kids to inherit.
For a better future, not a bleaker one.
For political substance rather than spin, and solutions rather than shame.
In celebrating this important milestone for Indian Newslink, we can look forward to many more years of success under its new leadership. But we must also recognise the challenges that new media and political forces place on traditional publications like Indian Newslink.
As always, Labour will stand alongside the New Zealand Indian community and those that uphold the highest values and standards in the media, and we have no doubt that Indian Newslink will continue its role as a critic and conscience in society.
And that is how it should be.
David Cunliffe has been a Labour Party Member of Parliament elected from New Lynn Constituency since 2002, prior to which he was an elected MP from the Titirangi Constituency in 1999. He is the Party’s Spokesperson for Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Regional Development
