The free speech union, basically the far right and ACT pushing their far right Atlas agenda through direct interference -
https://www.thepost.co.nz/politics/...r?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email?_ptid={kpdx}AAAAtZgfbIjyXgoKdElTclVmcXlwYRIQbThxcGJoY3gxNHh5NGZmYRoMRVg1ODhYUjIyWDJKIiUxODBqYnVvMDhnLTAwMDAzNWVsOXU3ZjY2MzNia2MydGxobXBjKhRydW5Kc1c1RkdGWThPRE5MRDExNVISdi1fAPAzZDBvNXI2bDY5blonMjQwNDo0NDA4OjZhNDU6ZjgwMDo4ZGFjOmY0OGU6YmEzNzo1NGQ4YgNkd2Nog4OYvwZwFXgI?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email?_ptid={kpdx}AAAAtZgfbIjyXgoKdElTclVmcXlwYRIQbThxcGJoY3gxNHh5NGZmYRoMRVg1ODhYUjIyWDJKIiUxODBqYnVvMDhnLTAwMDAzNWVsOXU3ZjY2MzNia2MydGxobXBjKhRydW5Kc1c1RkdGWThPRE5MRDExNVISdi1fAPAzZDBvNXI2bDY5blonMjQwNDo0NDA4OjZhNDU6ZjgwMDo4ZGFjOmY0OGU6YmEzNzo1NGQ4YgNkd2Nog4OYvwZwFXgI
The Free Speech Union has confirmed it initially encouraged billionaire Jim Grenonâs investment in the NZME media group.
Grenon, a Canadian-born private equity investor, plans to clean out the board and set a new direction for the company, which owns the New Zealand Herald and about half the countryâs commercial radio stations.
Jonathan Ayling, chief executive of the Free Speech Union, confirmed it was the campaign group that first suggested he become an investor.
It followed the FSUâs public criticism of NZME, Allied Press and the Stuff Group (which publishes The Post) for not running advertisements from right wing lobby group Hobsonâs Pledge, anti-vaxxers Voices for Freedom and conservative Christian advocates Family First.
âIt was an initial conversation with with one of our supporters that followed in a long line of conversations with supporters around this issue,â Ayling said, confirming that supporter was Grenon.
The FSU began taking a interest in the advertorial and editorial policy NZME was running about two years ago, he said.
âWe had an ongoing engagement with Michael Boggs, the [NZME] CEO, and at the 2023 AGM, we managed to move some motions around the way that they were rejecting ads.
âAnd we have worked with some relatively large shareholders who were concerned that individuals who were presenting otherwise legal but unorthodox views were not having their ads accepted.â
The Herald last year faced public backlash following the publication of a wraparound front-page ad that urged readers to sign a petition to return the seabed and foreshore to âpublic ownershipâ.
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A public letter signed by more than 170 academics and lawyers said the claims made in the ad were âmisleading and inaccurate.â The Advertising Standards Complaints Board later ruled it breached the Advertising Standards Code.
Feedback from readers saw the media company pull a second ad, which prompted fierce criticism from the FSU.
More than 1000 of its supporters emailed NZME after it refused to run a Family First âWhat is a woman?â campaign in 2023.
Grenon has told NZME that he expects to secure âoverwhelmingâ support from shareholders to replace its board at the companyâs annual meeting on April 29.
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Grenon had taken an interest in media, Ayling said, âso it was an obvious next step for himâ.
âWe were keen to encourage [that]. That's exactly what we do, we encourage those who share our concerns about the state of free speech and the plurality of voices in the Fourth Estate to take an active role on that.
âThat's the extent to which we participated. Our conversations with Jim were significant in encouraging him to take the very significant stance that he did. But, obviously, it was him going, âOh, I guess there's an opportunity hereâ.â
Ayling said FSU would continue to encourage that diverse voices are heard in other areas of society.
âWeâve always encouraged our supporters to buy shares, and it's consistent with the way we engage over a host of institutions.â This included professional membership councils for universities, the public service, lawyers, teachers, and healthcare, he said.
âWe've got eight professional memberships in place that have identified eight key sectors of society that we think really need investment ...[and] the individuals that we have there to say that we need to reinvigorate a cultural response here, where everyday Kiwis feel like they have a buy-in.â
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Grenon was contacted for comment.
E tĹŤ negotiation specialist Michael Wood said the union was concerned about âundueâ influence from Grenon, who spent $9 million on a 9.3% stake the in publicly-listed company.
âConfirmation that a highly political lobby group like the FSU has played a role in organising the attempted board takeover at NZME, makes it clear that this effort is not really about improving the commercial performance of the company as shareholders have been advised,â he said.
âInstead it appears to be an orchestrated attempt by people with very strong views on a range of public policy issues to take control of one of New Zealandâs largest media outlets.â
Wood called on Grenon and his shareholding supporters âto open up about who has been involved, and what their real intentions are.â
Wood added: âNew Zealanders who rely on the editorial independence of a free and open press deserve to know, and shareholders who have been told that itâs all about earning a better return also deserve clarity.â
He said the FSU should also come out in âstrong supportâ of of editorial independence and to convince Grenon to make the same commitment.
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