New Zealanders should be alarmed with Radio New Zealand’s newly-announced content-sharing deal with commercial cash-for-copy website The Spinoff, says the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union.

Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams says, “Taxpayers fund Radio New Zealand to provide quality independent journalism. So why on Earth is it teaming up with urban-left listicle platform The Spinoff?”

“A large proportion of the The Spinoff’s content is essentially cash-for-copy. Cushy ‘sponsorship’ arrangements result in fawning coverage of the trendy corporates and taxpayer-funded ‘innovation’ agencies that bankroll the platform.”

“Elsewhere, The Spinoff pursues a WhaleOil business model, launching hit pieces on individuals and organisations it deems politically unacceptable. The Spinoff’s ‘journalism’ drives Twitter pile-ons and lynch-mob abuse. The Spinoff’s only scepticism is against those who offend their left-wing safe-space world-view.”

“Radio New Zealand will struggle to publish content from The Spinoff that isn’t coloured by its financial backers or its leftist-millennial editorial stance. This dodgy deal threatens the independence and impartiality that Radio New Zealand claims to champion in its charter, which is set in legislation.”

“Broadcasting Minister Clare Curran needs to intervene in the name of independent public journalism.”

ENDS

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