Sometimes I think Jackson Ford is AI, when his body appears to bend like rubber and when he glitches playing the ball with no dummy half.Whatever do you mean.
AI is your friend.
Politics 🗳️ NZ Politics
- Thread starter wizard of Tauranga
- Start date
The "Jackson Ford is AI" theory is a lighthearted internet meme and fan conspiracy that has gained traction within the NRL community, particularly among New Zealand Warriors fans.
While he is very much a real person—an Australian professional rugby league player and former carpenter—there are a few funny reasons why fans joke about him being a high-end simulation or an "Android" programmed for league:
1. His Uncanny Work Rate
Ford is known for a "robotic" level of consistency and stamina. He often tops the stats for runs and tackles with a relentless, mechanical efficiency that doesn't seem to fluctuate. In the 2026 season, his "white-hot" start and leading position on the Dally M leaderboard have only fueled the joke that his programming has received a major software update.2. Physical "Default" Appearance
Fans often point to his clean-cut, symmetrical look as evidence of a "default character creator" in a video game. His focused, almost expressionless "game face" during high-intensity moments makes him look like a rendered asset from Rugby League Live rather than a person experiencing exhaustion.3. The "Unreal Engine" Evolution
Since moving from the St. George Illawarra Dragons to the Warriors in 2023, Ford’s transformation has been so dramatic that fans joke he was "re-skinned" or "re-coded" by coach Andrew Webster. Webster himself has mentioned identifying technical "glitches" in Ford's game (like his left-arm carry) and fixing them, which fits the narrative perfectly.4. Direct References in Media
The joke has become so popular that it occasionally pops up in social media comments and fan podcasts. When he makes a line break or a massive tackle, you'll often see comments like:- "The AI is glitching again."
- "Standard Jackson Ford NPC behavior."
- "Webster needs to nerf Ford in the next patch."
What does it say about the Wrighty is AI theory
70 years since you sank a few jars?
Been some exaggeration on this thread today but jeez
Here's a reminder of other right wingers in prominent positions in the media, using very similar comments to the poster from tauranga. This time, they sought to minimise Cyclone Gabrielle, which of course ended up costing lives and caused untold damage.
Hosking, Hawkesby and Woodham. There's a template to follow, and the poster from Tauranga, and Frank, and others, follow it with glee.
Stuff
www.stuff.co.nz
What they all have in common is following a standard right wing culture war template, that bases itself deeply within an embedded monoculture of right wing propaganda, weaponised disinformation and generally in New Zealand manifests itself amongst a particular group of New Zealanders.
One of the ironies of this time right now is that right wing politics and neoliberalism is an utter failure and disaster for those in it's shadow. Including us in New Zealand.
Think the warnings are woke? Stop complaining and ignore them. Go surfing during a cyclone, or take your kayak down a flooded stream. Hang out on Mt Manganui by an active landslide. It's a free world.
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miket12
🏛️
AUT have released their Media trust survey results. Funny how NZME put the Herald and BusinessDesk at the top of the companies at 5.7/10 in an article in the Herald. Please note, the article below doesn't refer to the politicial opinions of a minority shareholder in NZME nor does it use data collected in 1849 to decide the "political biase" of the media outlets. Nor are Bluesky or The Platform recorded in the results.
RNZ remains the most trusted news source in New Zealand, while the NZ Herald is the most popular weekly news source, according to new research released today.
The annual AUT Trust in News survey spells good news, at last, for New Zealand news media, with overall trust on the increase after six years of decline, although it is still “alarmingly low”, says a co-author, and more work needs to be done.
Researchers have pinpointed AI “slop” on social media feeds as a reason for the uptick in confidence in traditional media platforms.
“The prevalence of such poor-quality information, distributed on social media for commercial or political gain, and the growing public debate it, seems to have made people more conscious of the need for verified facts,” survey co-authors Merja Myllylahti and Greg Treadwell wrote on The Conversation website today.
New Zealanders’ general trust in news (those who trust news “most of the time”) increased from 32% in 2025 to 37% this year and is now just below the international average of 40%.
Meanwhile, 50% of people trusted the news sources they consumed themselves, according to the survey – up from 45%.
All news brands increased their own individual trust scores, with RNZ remaining ahead of the pack, followed by the Otago Daily Times and TVNZ.
In fourth-equal spot was The Listener, Newsroom, Waikato Times, and interest.co.nz, followed by seven more news brands – NZ Herald, BusinessDesk, NBR, Stuff, The Press, The Post and ThreeNews.
In two years, the Herald has leapt from fourth spot to the No 1 position as a news source after respondents were asked which news brands they had used in the previous week.
The Herald (52%) headed off Stuff (51%), TVNZ (50%), RNZ (35%) and ThreeNews (21%). ThreeNews’ percentage has more than halved since 2024.
The survey showed online news sites and apps were the main news sources for 38% of New Zealanders, followed by TV (20%) and social media/video networks (19%).
The survey also showed the Herald topping the list of subscription brands, although this fell from 22% of respondents in 2025 to 18% this year.
That drop contrasts with publicly listed Herald owner NZME’s latest annual results. According to the media firm, its publishing division had growth of 3% in digital subscription revenue - the division also delivered improved profitability, with 31% growth in digital publishing operating ebitda.
NZME said the number of digital subscribers grew 10% to 166,000 and total subs grew 3% year-on-year from 236,000 to 243,000.
The AUT survey said New Zealanders’ interest in the news was stable (91% of respondents said they were interested to some extent, down one percentage point), but it warned “news avoidance” had increased significantly – up five percentage points to 78%.
News avoidance is classified as people avoiding the news “to some degree (sometimes/occasionally/often)”.
Myllylahti and Treadwell said transparency, high journalistic standards and editorial independence were key factors in building trust.
“As social media and video platforms are flooded with influencers, disinformation and AI content, people are increasingly using news media for information verification. That is promising,” Myllylahti said.
Treadwell said trust levels were still “alarmingly low” and many of the accusations against journalists from earlier research – of political bias and producing opinion rather than news – remained.
But he said the latest report also showed many New Zealanders valued professional journalism, including its commitment to accuracy and other ethical standards.
The survey said many New Zealanders acknowledged “a lack of credibility in social-media content, and indicate that the rise of influencers and AI content makes them trust news media”.
Verbatim comments from the 1000-plus respondents included: “Traditional news networks and journalists will end up regaining trust, because [there] will be no way to tell whether something is AI bullshit or not.”
And: “Traditional news is run by professionals. It can be sued if it writes defamatory stories. It uses details that allow verification.”
And: “I’m pretty confident at my age I can sniff out the real thing from bogus. Plus, the sources are established sources, not an influencer.”
The survey reiterated that poor journalism was an issue of concern for almost all respondents. “Poor journalism was defined as making factual mistakes, dumbed-down stories and misleading headlines/clickbait,” said the survey.
About 60% of respondents said they were uncomfortable with news produced mainly by AI (with human oversight) – this was higher than the numbers in the US (53%) and Europe (46%).
The researchers also used the survey to fire a warning shot at news media owners and politicians.
The survey showed about 43% of New Zealanders believed interference by media owners/boards or managers with editorial decisions would decrease their trust in the media. About 27% would consider cancelling their subscriptions/payments if that happened.
Furthermore, 46% of those surveyed were extremely or very concerned about politicians publicly discrediting the news.
“New Zealanders are sending a clear message to media owners and politicians, telling them not to interfere with editorial independence or the credibility of news media in public,” Myllylahti said.
NZME editor-in-chief Murray Kirkness said he was pleased the Herald had claimed the number one position in the survey as the country’s most popular weekly news source, and with the increase in trust in all the company’s news brands.
“We are proud of the journalism we produce. Our growing overall subscriber base and the size of our audiences across digital, print and radio reflect the fact New Zealanders trust what we deliver every day,” Kirkness said.
He said the company offered “many views” across various platforms and would “continue to produce broad coverage when it comes to news, analysis and opinion”.
Kirkness said improving trust was a priority for the industry.
The Government has been hot on both TVNZ and RNZ increasing their trust levels.
RNZ chief executive Paul Thompson said it had been a strategic focus for RNZ.
“The findings are recognition of the work we do day in and day out, living and breathing our editorial standards and training our people to provide reliable and independent news and information,” he said.
“It endorses the RNZ approach of investing in trust initiatives, both internally and through the sharing of our high-quality content with other media outlets.”
While he appreciated trust levels were increasing, there was “always more to be done”.
www.nzherald.co.nz
Media Insider: AUT Trust in News report 2026 – how the public rates 20 news platforms
Trust in New Zealand news media is finally rising again, after six years of decline. What’s led to the turnaround, and who ranks where among 20 news platforms surveyed?RNZ remains the most trusted news source in New Zealand, while the NZ Herald is the most popular weekly news source, according to new research released today.
The annual AUT Trust in News survey spells good news, at last, for New Zealand news media, with overall trust on the increase after six years of decline, although it is still “alarmingly low”, says a co-author, and more work needs to be done.
Researchers have pinpointed AI “slop” on social media feeds as a reason for the uptick in confidence in traditional media platforms.
“The prevalence of such poor-quality information, distributed on social media for commercial or political gain, and the growing public debate it, seems to have made people more conscious of the need for verified facts,” survey co-authors Merja Myllylahti and Greg Treadwell wrote on The Conversation website today.
New Zealanders’ general trust in news (those who trust news “most of the time”) increased from 32% in 2025 to 37% this year and is now just below the international average of 40%.
Meanwhile, 50% of people trusted the news sources they consumed themselves, according to the survey – up from 45%.
All news brands increased their own individual trust scores, with RNZ remaining ahead of the pack, followed by the Otago Daily Times and TVNZ.
In fourth-equal spot was The Listener, Newsroom, Waikato Times, and interest.co.nz, followed by seven more news brands – NZ Herald, BusinessDesk, NBR, Stuff, The Press, The Post and ThreeNews.
In two years, the Herald has leapt from fourth spot to the No 1 position as a news source after respondents were asked which news brands they had used in the previous week.
The Herald (52%) headed off Stuff (51%), TVNZ (50%), RNZ (35%) and ThreeNews (21%). ThreeNews’ percentage has more than halved since 2024.
The survey showed online news sites and apps were the main news sources for 38% of New Zealanders, followed by TV (20%) and social media/video networks (19%).
The survey also showed the Herald topping the list of subscription brands, although this fell from 22% of respondents in 2025 to 18% this year.
That drop contrasts with publicly listed Herald owner NZME’s latest annual results. According to the media firm, its publishing division had growth of 3% in digital subscription revenue - the division also delivered improved profitability, with 31% growth in digital publishing operating ebitda.
NZME said the number of digital subscribers grew 10% to 166,000 and total subs grew 3% year-on-year from 236,000 to 243,000.
The AUT survey said New Zealanders’ interest in the news was stable (91% of respondents said they were interested to some extent, down one percentage point), but it warned “news avoidance” had increased significantly – up five percentage points to 78%.
News avoidance is classified as people avoiding the news “to some degree (sometimes/occasionally/often)”.
Myllylahti and Treadwell said transparency, high journalistic standards and editorial independence were key factors in building trust.
“As social media and video platforms are flooded with influencers, disinformation and AI content, people are increasingly using news media for information verification. That is promising,” Myllylahti said.
Treadwell said trust levels were still “alarmingly low” and many of the accusations against journalists from earlier research – of political bias and producing opinion rather than news – remained.
But he said the latest report also showed many New Zealanders valued professional journalism, including its commitment to accuracy and other ethical standards.
The survey said many New Zealanders acknowledged “a lack of credibility in social-media content, and indicate that the rise of influencers and AI content makes them trust news media”.
Verbatim comments from the 1000-plus respondents included: “Traditional news networks and journalists will end up regaining trust, because [there] will be no way to tell whether something is AI bullshit or not.”
And: “Traditional news is run by professionals. It can be sued if it writes defamatory stories. It uses details that allow verification.”
And: “I’m pretty confident at my age I can sniff out the real thing from bogus. Plus, the sources are established sources, not an influencer.”
The survey reiterated that poor journalism was an issue of concern for almost all respondents. “Poor journalism was defined as making factual mistakes, dumbed-down stories and misleading headlines/clickbait,” said the survey.
About 60% of respondents said they were uncomfortable with news produced mainly by AI (with human oversight) – this was higher than the numbers in the US (53%) and Europe (46%).
The researchers also used the survey to fire a warning shot at news media owners and politicians.
The survey showed about 43% of New Zealanders believed interference by media owners/boards or managers with editorial decisions would decrease their trust in the media. About 27% would consider cancelling their subscriptions/payments if that happened.
Furthermore, 46% of those surveyed were extremely or very concerned about politicians publicly discrediting the news.
“New Zealanders are sending a clear message to media owners and politicians, telling them not to interfere with editorial independence or the credibility of news media in public,” Myllylahti said.
Rebuilding trust
Over several years, news organisations have been tackling the issue of trust levels in media, including - for example - clearly differentiating news articles from opinion pieces.NZME editor-in-chief Murray Kirkness said he was pleased the Herald had claimed the number one position in the survey as the country’s most popular weekly news source, and with the increase in trust in all the company’s news brands.
“We are proud of the journalism we produce. Our growing overall subscriber base and the size of our audiences across digital, print and radio reflect the fact New Zealanders trust what we deliver every day,” Kirkness said.
He said the company offered “many views” across various platforms and would “continue to produce broad coverage when it comes to news, analysis and opinion”.
Kirkness said improving trust was a priority for the industry.
The Government has been hot on both TVNZ and RNZ increasing their trust levels.
RNZ chief executive Paul Thompson said it had been a strategic focus for RNZ.
“The findings are recognition of the work we do day in and day out, living and breathing our editorial standards and training our people to provide reliable and independent news and information,” he said.
“It endorses the RNZ approach of investing in trust initiatives, both internally and through the sharing of our high-quality content with other media outlets.”
While he appreciated trust levels were increasing, there was “always more to be done”.
Revealed: NZ's most (and least) trusted news brands - how the public rates 20 platforms
As AI 'slop' dominates social media feeds, news media are rebuilding public trust.
And here's a bunch of fucking idiots expressing their freedom of speech to perpetuate a fiction they are part of. Outside Ardern's book launch.
miket12
🏛️
They probably also think Diet Coke will cure cancer.
- Thread starter
- #23,851
Stupid stuff. Obviously it PREVENTS cancer before it can even grow!
- Thread starter
- #23,852
Getting more trust is pretty much irrelevant if 78% of people avoiding the news…
miket12
🏛️
No, they just trust the platform or bsky more
70 since I arrived here JN, been a few jars under the belt since then70 years since you sank a few jars?
Been some exaggeration on this thread today but jeez
miket12
🏛️
Damn, and I thought I was old
And don't forget RCR radio.No, they just trust the platform or bsky more
'tis but a number Mike, unfortunately with winter coming, the number feels higher every dayDamn, and I thought I was old
miket12
🏛️
One way to measure how long a period of growth has been is to look at the length of time between when mortgage rates get to their lowest point and then how long it takes for the interest rates to start rising again. The longer between the two, the better the economy is.
In case you missed it, it's barely been six weeks since the last fall to the first rise. I hope you all enjoyed the stella performance of the economy over that time!!!
In case you missed it, it's barely been six weeks since the last fall to the first rise. I hope you all enjoyed the stella performance of the economy over that time!!!
- Thread starter
- #23,859
World wide recession tipped by the IMF thanks to oils prices skyrocketing. It’s been a hell of a decade!
I honestly think within the reserve banks mandate they can look through temporary offshore inflation spikes and this oil driven one ticks all the boxes.
We’ve got the election later in the year while stalls investment as well lets start looking forward to a better 2027…
juju
🔥
Get the popcorn ready.
When the country needs solid stewardship we get big talk but underperformance and back stabbing.
www.nzherald.co.nz
When the country needs solid stewardship we get big talk but underperformance and back stabbing.
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