A message to Google from the good people of New Zealand: ‘Sod off’

New Zealand should play Google at its own game. The country should boycott its search engine and move en masse to the many alternatives.

Last Friday major media companies revealed that Google had given notice that it would remove links to New Zealand news and ditch the agreements it has with them if the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill is passed by our Parliament in its present form.

That would amount to an effective blackout of the news content it exploits on a daily basis in a way that users have come to rely upon.

Google’s parent Alphabet wishes to continue that exploitation unencumbered by laws and regulation and has already played hardball by threatening the governments of Canada and Australia over legislation similar to that proposed here. Facebook’s owner Meta went further and instituted bans. This is online bullying on a monumental scale.

We may see some of the resulting frustrations vented in a report on internet searches from the Australian Competitions and Consumer Commission that was due to be presented to the federal treasurer last Monday, but which has yet to be publicly released.

Let’s not wait to register our refusal to be intimidated. Let’s show our utter disdain for American corporate bullying by telling Google to sod off. In other words, let’s vote with our fingers. No, not that well-known gesture, but a nationwide campaign to switch now to the likes of Yahoo! and Microsoft Bing. Continue reading “A message to Google from the good people of New Zealand: ‘Sod off’” →

Interview: The future of journalism

I recently did an interview with documentary maker Bryan Bruce for his Head 2 Head series.

Here is a link to the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/head2head/id1761498531 

And the video version: https://bryanbruce.substack.com/p/episode-15-gavin-ellis

Polkinghorne: Did coverage go to the line?

The Polkinghorne murder trial has drawn a line for media coverage of our courts. It is a line that must not be crossed.

Beyond it lies the possibility of interference with fair trial rights, or a misrepresentation which affects the public’s confidence in our court system. Crossing that line could have led to a mistrial, an offence under the Contempt of Court Act, or a loss of public confidence in our court system.

I think some coverage went close to the line. It was not crossed because, had it done so, miscreant media would have been called to account by the judge.

You’ll note I use the term ‘coverage’ rather that ‘reportage’. That is because I believe some of it went beyond the normal standards of court reporting to embrace observations, interpretations, and opinions. Some went beyond the confines of  the court.

The trial of retired Remuera eye surgeon Philip Polkinghorne over the death of his wife, Pauline Hanna, ended last week in his acquittal. It appeared from a note passed to the judge by the jury during their deliberations that there was reasonable doubt within their ranks over whether she had been killed or had taken her own life. That appears to have been reflected in the verdict that was returned a short time later.

I have no intention of revisiting the evidence or the verdict. ‘Reasonable doubt’ is a well-understood concept. As I told a Stuff reporter for a story that led The Press last week: “I think we have seen justice done’.

However, I also told the reporter that I’d read colourful and dramatic accounts of the case that drew on comments and descriptions from the authors of some coverage which weren’t evidence, and pushed at the boundaries of media coverage. And that was because the case was suffused with what I described as “sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll”. Continue reading “Polkinghorne: Did coverage go to the line?” →

Gen Z’s regrets could be our salvation

A week ago, I read a number of reports that gladdened my heart.

 Mt Albert Grammar School headmaster Patrick Drumm told news media that things have changed for the better since a ban on cell phones was introduced last year – lots of talking, movement, and sports games. Now all schools have a legal mandate to follow suit if they wish.

The same day Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced plans to introduce legislation by the end of the year to create a minimum age to access social media, joining South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria in deciding to impose restrictions as evidence mounts of detrimental effects on the young.

Then a couple of days ago a friend drew my attention to a piece in the New York Times commenting on a Harris poll of Gen Z users that indicated many of them wish certain types of social media…and even smartphones…had never been invented. Continue reading “Gen Z’s regrets could be our salvation” →