Media distortion in New Zealand

Radio New Zealand removes story on Turkish oil smuggling
- I won't say censoring

Seemorerocks

This story started at 4 am when my partner Pam turned on the radio and heard the story, Russia presents proof of Turkey’s role in ISIS oil trade, on the 4 am news. I checked the news broadcast at 5 am and the story had been removed.  On Morning Report, the broadcaster's flagship programme, there was absolutely ZILCH about this story - not a word.

Instead we got this absolutely dreadful (and false) report from the BBC.

Pam rang Radio New Zealand (aren't we fortunate that we can ring and get a human being on the other end), but predictably we didn't hear anything back.

I decided on another tack and rang and asked to be put through to the newsroom. The phone was answered by none other than Brent Edwards, until recently political correspondent but now in charge of news gathering.

I told him my story which was met by the contention that the issue had already "been dealt with" the day before. I then explained that this was impossible as the events I was referring to happened during the night

What I think made him listen to me was when I mentioned this blog and that if I didn't hear a credible response within a reasonable length of time I would write about this and within a short period of time the world would know about it.

He suggested that I write him an email which I did.

Dear Mr. Edwards,

Further to your our phone call, the following are references to a story which broke during the night (one from Reuters, the other from Russia’s RT)

Russia says it has proof Turkey involved in Islamic State oil trade

Russia presents proof of Turkey’s role in ISIS oil trade

I will repeat that I need a credible explanation of why this story, which appeared on the 4 am news was then subsequently blocked and no reference was made to it in Morning Report.

For your information, the same thing has seemingly happened on the BBC website. I cannot find the following story which I read about 2 hours ago on their website

Syria conflict: Russia accuses Erdogan of trading oil with IS

To me, on the surface this looks like killing a major (and inconvenient) story that should be at the centre of everyone’s attention.

As you may have gathered I am a regular listener to Radio New Zealand and a strong advocate. I must say though, that my trust in the public broadcaster has been undermined of late, especially when it comes to geopolitics.

If I do not hear a credible explanation I shall be writing about this on my blog Seemorerocks.

At a time when the risk of an East-West conflagration has never been greater (since the Cuban missile crisis) I beleive there should be a discussion on this, even in distant New Zealand.

Your sincerely,

Robin Westenra

Within a credible length of time I heard back from Mr. Edwards.

Dear Robin

Our news staff are busy at the moment in the lead-up to midday. But from what I can see we do have more copy on this story coming, including on World Watch.

While you attribute some form of censorship of this story I can assure you that is not the case.

Cheers

Brent Edwards

Director News Gathering

Radio New Zealand

P: +64 4 474 1919

M: 0274 513 507

I waited with baited breath to hear the coverage on the midday news. Here it is.

Zilch. 


But to be fair Mr. Edwards is technically correct in that there was a short clip on a program called Worldwatch which plays clips from other news organisations - in this case it was from the BBC which has distorted and lied about anything that has to do with Russia - from Ukraine to Syria.

A few hours have gone by since then and I have not heard ANY response to my original question which was:


" I need a credible explanation of why this story, which appeared on the 4 am news was then subsequently blocked and no reference was made to it in Morning Report."

Having received no response readers will have to make up their own minds.

I can see only two possibilities:

1. Mr, Edwards is being disingenuous when he says 

"While you attribute some form of censorship of this story I can assure you that is not the case."

and the item was removed by editorial decision when the main shift started around daybreak

2. That we give Mr. Edwards the benefit of the doubt in which case we need to make certain assumptions about the level of nous in Radio New Zealand. Presumably whoever puts the news items together during the night has more savvy when it comes to identifying important stories because we have identified one pattern, time after time - or at least Pam, who often suffers from sleepless nights, has. On more occasions than we can count there have been important stories - either local or overseas- that have appeared on news broadcasts during the wee hours but have just as frequently disappeared by the time Morning Report comes along at 6 am.

It is our contention that there is a positive correlation between this pattern and the sensitivity or importance of the story.

To reach this conclusion we would also have to assume that the people who collect the news stories are remarkably more unaware of these news stories than their colleagues working during the night.

A strange phenomenon I think you'll agree.

I'll leave it up to you to decide.