Opinion by James Murray
What’s the difference between the News of the World and the actions of New Zealand media organisations over the ‘teapot tapes’?
Not much, if John Key is anything to go by. He says the recording, revealed by the Herald on Sunday, was obtained using “News of the World tactics”.
Key’s campaign manager Steve Joyce says he does not believe the taping occurred accidentally, describing instead a “covert operation”.
For the record the freelance cameraman who owns the recording device maintains his innocence, telling Newstalk ZB today that he had forgotten about the tape recorder until after the conversation.
But Key has now brought in the police – saying he is concerned the media will be encouraged to take on “UK tabloid tactics”.
The content of the tape aside, I am a bit worried Key is using his own brand of “UK tabloid tactics” to get his own way. It’s called exaggeration.
The News of the World systematically hacked into the mobile phones of thousands of people, from celebrities to victims of serious crimes. They then lied about their actions consistently and threatened those who sought to object.
It is the single biggest betrayal by the news media in history, it brought down one of the oldest, biggest-selling newspapers in the World, it has opened up a huge debate in the UK as to the ethics between free speech and privacy, it scuppered Murdoch’s aims to increase ownership of BSkyB and made the most powerful media-mogul on the planet look like a foolish old man in white sneakers.
To compare this recording to that debacle is scaremongering – Key is hoping his supporters will round on the media and give us a bashing about threatening the PM’s privacy.
It would be surprising to say the least, that someone looking to covertly record the Prime Minister’s conversation would do so with such a highly visible device. It’s definitely not the sort of technology you’d see in a modern day spy thriller.
The HoS also made an editorial decision not to publish the details of the conversation, very unlike the News of the World which used the information it garnered from phone-hacking with impunity.
Don’t forget the small matter that Key and Banks were in a public place, surrounded by reporters whom they had asked to attend. The message they wanted to get across – that Key backs Banks in Epsom.
But the media are not here to parrot Key and Banks’ message, we’re here to serve the public interest.
3 News has now heard the audio but are bound by the law not to release the details. It is down to Key or Banks to give consent.
Watch Duncan Garner’s story about this today.
Key says there is nothing for him to worry about in this “bland” conversation but won’t release a transcript on principle.
That’s why he is making such a big deal out of the News of the World tactics – if the public don’t think his privacy has been invaded and his conversation does hold public interest then the calls for him to reveal what he said will grow.
Without the privacy defence, Key is in danger of looking like he has something to hide and to some degree at least, even that could be a game-changer.