The main stream media is attempting to turn the exposure of Len Brown’s infidelity into a left-right political conspiracy.
One angle it hasn’t looked at is it was a blog which broke the news.
Stephen Cook, a former Herald journalist broke the story on Whaleoil.
It’s not the first time a blog has been first with a story but it is, at least in New Zealand I think, the first time for such a big story.
Is that significant?
I don’t think it signals less importance for the old media but it does point to more significance for the new.
Homepaddock 
I think you are onto something here Ele.
The mainstream media have a position and a revenue stream to defend. They missed the “infidelity” story, so the opportunity to sell advertising comes from presenting a different angle. The most plausible angle is hinting at a coordinated attempt by Slater to discredit Brown, and it’s not totally implausible because Slater, Cook and Lusk all have a track record.
The most interesting bit for me is how John Key has poured insecticide on the issue, because it re-exposes the rifts within the National party.
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What has John Key got to do with any of this? He is by all appearances a thoroughly decent and honourable man.
The culprits here are the Mayor of Auckland and a young Asian woman who committed Adultery, they did it, they both were foolish, self absorbed and self indulgent and will presumably pay the price for their indiscretions.
There is a reason why adultery is frowned upon and it has nothing to do with being fun killing and puritanical, it has everything to do with the innocent parties who get caught in the crossfire and harmed by the fallout.
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It is not the adultery per se which drives into the core of Len Brown’s behaviour. I suggest that regardless of Ms Huang’s conduct Brown has exploited her because as Mayor with its accompanying privileges and power he could. And did! He is despicable. This is a question of human behaviour and personal decency, his choice of politics is irrelevant.
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“I don’t think it signals less importance for the old media but it does point to more significance for the new.”
When you look at the circulation figures for the major and regional dailies its pretty clear that some blogs are closing in on at least the smaller regions, ie, several blogs could be providing way more than just the one small regional paper.
Its this aggregate of blogs read every day that meet the needs and specialties of readers thats so compelling and useful.. in this respect the online news from old media is really a blog by another name.
JC
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I think it is pertinent that the former Herald journalist Cook only became involved when Cam Slater contacted him for help with the story.
AC – divisions within the National Party. Are you sure you didn’t mean divisions within the Labour party?
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It’s not that difficult to work out what John Key has to do with it, Andrei. It’s nothing bad, and it’s only relevant to this post because Ele referred to the widening of the scope of the story into “…a left-right political conspiracy.” As he is at the top of the pyramid of the right, his opinion on the matter is of interest.
pdm – I have no reason to believe Labour are any more united than they were previously, or than any other party, because the people I spend all day with are almost without exception National or ACT voters so I know almost no Labour voters and miss out on the inner machinations of the Labour party. However, they seem to be presenting a more united front, in public. So, no, sorry, I said what I meant.
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Reading the above discussion, AC, I am left wondering if you really meant differences of opinion rather than “rifts”?
If there are rifts, could you please describe them? eg. what issues are they in regard to and who are they between…
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John Key has as much to do with this as I do – ie nothing at all.
The political arena is filled with unpleasant people, Cameron Slater himself used the word “despicable” on “the Nation” yesterday to describe many of those who engage in politics and alas he is probably right.
John Key, at this point has not done anything that I know of to merit that description though and his role in these unfolding events has been to skillfully answer questions put to him by reporters in such a way as to remain more or less neutral and let the unpleasant show their true colours.
I’ll say it again the people who violated the seventh commandment chose to do so of their own free will and in so doing unleashed what has followed which is all very sordid.
John Key however has remained above it all thus far and it is my prediction that he will continue to do so, for all his failings he is basically a good guy I think
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Insecticide!
Gold.
This whole affair reeks of John Key.
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Then you clearly have a problem with your senses.
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No, I didn’t, and no, while I could, I won’t.
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Rubbish, Andrei. Unless you ARE John Key, you and he are involved to different extents.
It seems you are either uninterested in or incapable of discussing the substance of Ele’s post, as is your right.
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Of course.
I’m not sure that Key had anything except a passing knowledge of the affair, if that. It’s the kind of level of attention to detail that Key seems to either miss or ignore.
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Good grief you really are suffering from Key Dergangement Syndrome – why would the PM have any more than a passing knowledge of or interest in the mayor’s affair?
He’s running the country not monitoring mayoral morality.
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Key and Slater – linked?
You bet!
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It’s rather curious that you won’t elaborate AC.
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I’m assuming you meant to reply to Robert, rather than me, Ele. The “Of course” part of my comment refers to the “Insecticide!” part of Robert’s comment. Shall I explain further?
The rest of my comment agrees completely with your “…running the country not monitoring mayoral morality.” [Nice assonance there.] so your suggestion that I have Key Derangement Syndrome (whatever that is) is probably misdirected.
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