Wednesday, 21 August 2024 14:25

Spineless

Written by Milking It

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OPINION: Was NZ Herald wrong to reject good money on ideological grounds? The Free Speech Union thinks so. The advocacy group has ripped into NZ’s largest newspaper claiming it lacks backbone and further threatens trust in the media and public debate.

“Spineless leadership at the helm of our largest media outfit makes all Kiwis poorer, not least NZME shareholders,” says Jonathan Ayling, chief executive of the FSU. NZME, the Herald’s owner, offered an advertising package to Hobson’s Pledge, signed off on the ads, and submitted their invoice for payment. FSU says, a few would-be-censors bang their intolerance drum, and the board and management get spooked.

NZME is a publicly-listed private company. They ultimately have the right to reject advertising. But some shareholders are questioning as to why good money is being rejected on ideological grounds.

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