This is a selection of some of the tweets about TVNZ’s Shane Taurima and his perceived conflict of interest and actions related to his involvement with the Labour Party. The tweets below are in (rough) reverse chronically order – the most recent tweets are first. More will be added. [Read more below]
This TVNZ debacle is just another example of things where I can't believe no-one, along the line went "hang on, this isn't right"
remember that time that Brendan Horan was reading the weather, and he forecast a huge wave of Asian immigrants stealing our jobs? #TVNZbias
Taurima may have stepped over the lines with on site meetings but unless actual bias can be confirmed, really, what's the big deal?
Day3 and Taurima is back leading the News this morning. TVNZ are going all out to clear their reputation. Others implicated await scrutiny.
Tau Henare can’t name a single occasion on which Shane Taurima was biased against him. But apparently you develop a sense for these things.
TVNZ to extend inquiry to look at old episodes of Maggie's Garden Show after revelations that there were excessive shots of blue flowers
Te Ururoa Flavell @TeUruroaFlavell
Let me say this. I always found Shane Taurima to be highly professional in all his dealings with me for the last 8... http://fb.me/UF8gW26s
If Brendon McCullum is the new Lorde, is Shane Taurima the new Len Brown?
Claire Robinson @Spinprofessor
I worked with Shane Taurima during TVNZ's 2011 election coverage and on Q+A in 2012 and never found him overtly biased towards Labour.
Activist smackdivist. The reaction against Taurima suggests that a lot of people still care about these things,
Shane Taurima used the Q+A dinghy and the Te Karere allocated fishing quota to catch those 2 snapper that David Shearer held in Parliament.
Wouldn't the best test for Taurima basis not that he was aggressive to National MPs, but was he equally aggressive to Labour MPs?
Here's the transcript of Shane Taurima's Q&A interview with Paula Bennett. Interesting for style. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1204/S00333/qa-shane-taurima-interviews-paula-bennett.htm … …
TVNZ's reporting was inane & shallow before the Taurima incident. Guess we can kiss goodbye any hard hitting election coverage from them now
Morgan Godfery @MorganGodfery
Names work in Maori electorates. But names don't always equate to media men (yeah, men). What about Maori known in the community, not on tv?
Suggestions of media bias should focus on whether an interviewer is soft on one party not tough on the other. Tough should be the default.
Martyn Bradbury @CitizenBomber
Standing Tamati Coffey in Waiariki would not be conducive to a relationship between MANA & Labour
Patrick Gower @patrickgowernz
Labour sources saying Tim Barnett the big Tamati Coffey supporter #Labour4Tamati
There is something a little McCarthyesque about this Shane Taurima coverage on TV3. Especially the q&a stuff. #nzpol #futureofnews
> David Fisher @DFisherJourno
@althecat He's exposed a lot of his work and the work of colleagues to question, whether fair question or not, by a very poor decision.
TV3 has won the rights to Election 2014 coverage. #JS
Patrick Gower @patrickgowernz
Labour trying to get Tamati Coffey to stand in Waiariki. #maoribroadcasteridol
Morgan Godfery @MorganGodfery
If no ones comes to Shane's defence, 3 News and National are going to bury him. This is an aggressive hit. Tamaki is open now.
TV1 while you're reviewing Shane Taurima's past work for political bias,check out Paul Henry's past work for political bias as well.
> Graeme Edgeler @GraemeEdgeler
@NgatiBird have you any evidence to suggest Paul Henry was a member of (or seeking office in) National while at TVNZ?
Morgan Godfery @MorganGodfery
Tamati is a lovely human being. But I'm pretty sure he's not MP material. What's Labour up to? #mediaobsession
It seems broadcasters are attracted to politics and visa versa: Pam Corkery, Deborah Coddington, Paul Henry, Maggie Barry, Banksie, etc etc!
Martyn Bradbury @CitizenBomber
The most ridiculous part of the Taurima fiasco is that it allows right wing pundits and bloggers to claim TVNZ is biased towards the left
Graeme Edgeler @GraemeEdgeler
I assume Ministers never meet party officials in the Beehive, right? Only in Parliamentary Offices, not Executive Offices? #taxpayerfunded
There's enough left and right wing media personalities going around for everyone to have their fair share of annoyance.
Labour activists scaling the walls of the TVNZ building to beam mind control devices out into TV's of Mum and Dad investors.
Shane Taurima - chief of staff? #nzpol
Martyn Bradbury @CitizenBomber
Did TVNZ review the work of Paul Henry, Tony Veitch or Mike Hosking?
Perhaps TVNZ could hire EY to trawl through all those back episodes of Te Karere and report back. What could go wrong?
If TVNZ really is “trawling through” old Te Karere shows for bias, it doesn’t say much for editorial leadership when those shows screened.
Morgan Godfery @MorganGodfery
That TVNZ is "trawling through" Te Karere for evidence of bias speaks volumes. If bias did exist shouldn't they have picked up on it before?
This is not North Korea.... we don't need State broadcasters.... http://fb.me/yrOoI0Zv
Patrick Gower @patrickgowernz
Former Seven Sharp producer Raewyn Rasch is now interim GM of TVNZ Maori and Pacific unit.
Now Paula Bennett is accusing Shane Taurima of being brutal by asking her *real* questions? How dare he doing his job?
If the Taurima fiasco had occurred at RNZ rather than TVNZ,whats the bet the Govt would be using it as an excuse to instigate drastic reform
Shane Taurima started the interview w/ Paula Bennett by saying "I'd never vote for you", oh hold on, no that wasn't him...
Paula Bennett: "Shane Taurima is biased but I don't mind this guy." pic.twitter.com/jYnenQmW3f
Taurima can thank McCullum for taking the headlines today. He may not be so lucky tomorrow.
Patrick Gower @patrickgowernz
The Taurima leaked documents and TVNZ's response: http://www.3news.co.nz/Portals/0/images/Shane%20Taurima%20TVNZ.pdf …
National MPs and ministers claim they were subject to biased interview from Taurima, strongest comments from @paulabennettmp and @tauhenare
Chris Finlayson @chrisfinlayson
Does Labour understand that the public service and Crown entities are not just extensions of their political party?
Chris Finlayson @chrisfinlayson
Labour played dumb about former staffer in SSC “probably” passing on documents to Phil Goff, now about their activists using TVNZ resources
Apparently he is the next big thing but all I c is Shane Taurima spectacularly shagging a broadcasting and political career all at once.
Chris Finlayson @chrisfinlayson
Labour Broadcasting Spokesman @KrisinMana is former TVNZ journo, but always maintained rigorous standards. He must be seething.
Morgan Godfery @MorganGodfery
If you think Taurima is conclusive proof of left wing media bias, then you have to ignore Jones, Lhaws, Hosking, Henry, Plunket and so on...
Morgan Godfery @MorganGodfery
EMAIL ACCOUNTS AND MEETING ROOMS WERE USED! FULL INQUIRY! CORRUPTION ABOUNDS! LABOUR HAS INFILTRATED TVNZ! DERP DERP BURP FART DERP
@MorganGodfery Would you think differently if it was Act/National?
> Morgan Godfery @MorganGodfery
@Zagzigger No. I'd think the facilities used were minor and the partisan commentary overblown. The political stupidity shocks me most.
> Maiki Sherman @MaikiSherman
@MorganGodfery @Zagzigger For the record, none of the three staff members involved are journalists.
@ShakingStick @MorganGodfery My interest. Symptomatic that some people think the role kf activism and journalist can mix. Significant lapse.
Taurima won't be the only one to go from TVNZ. More heads will roll before the end of the week. TVNZ look REAL bad. #TaurimaScandal
Last time I watched the news on TVNZ, it mostly seemed to have a sports and weather bias. Also, a thinking we're all morons bias.
Staggered by the TVNZ revelations. Had no idea anyone who worked there was interested in politics.
Morgan Godfery @MorganGodfery
Remember when Paul Henry used to host Breakfast - better known as The John Key Tribute Show - on TVNZ? Yeah, he can't talk.
This Taurima thing is simple. If you try to be an MP you stop being a journalist because plainly you're not one and probably never were.
Otoh, some of the journalists coming down mightily on #Taurima will never make an issue of mates who, say, do lucrative media training.
The funny thing about Shane Taurima trying to use his broadcasting career to advance his political career is that he's probably sunk both.
The #Taurima shambles suggests poor personal judgement, but also ineffective and disengaged editorial management at TVNZ.
One of these things is not like the others - Paul Henry, Patrick Gower, Duncan Garner, Sean Plunket, Corin Dann, Shane Taurima...
Why did TVNZ bosses allow Taurima to return to top 'Maori Unit' job after going for the Labour job? Aren't they to blame too? Inquiry please
Woah, Shane Taurima was unaware that the Labour meeting was being held at TVNZ. And still resigned.
Chelsea Torrance @tripthestation
I think the true scandal is that Shane Taurima made the Labour activists meet in an actual meeting room rather than a drinking establishment
Morgan Godfery @MorganGodfery
Super stupid from Taurima. But an email account and a meeting room? Not the biggest scandal to hit TVNZ.
Media works love sticking the boot in at the best of times - They will have a field day over the Taurima affair.
I bet Patrick Gower and 3News had to get over seeing what a Māori/Pasifika unit looks like before filming that Taurima story
It's right that Shane Taurima has resigned, what he did was stupid; but #3oxNews is stretching it's claims a bit.
Dear TVNZ While you're searching for left-wing bias you mind also check for right-wing bias as well #hosking #henryonbreakfast
> Graeme Edgeler @GraemeEdgeler
@malosilima if you can't see that this is about partisanship, not simply left or right bias, I probably won't persuade you otherwise.
I can imagine there are much worse political biases happening at TVNZ and at TV3! I'm a staunch United Future supporter wheres my story?
I was really excited to see the big TVNZ/Labour scandal turns out its just some dude from Maori News sending emails!
Patrick Gower @patrickgowernz
TVNZ taxpayer-funded spin machine sent response to Shane Taurima story at 5.57pm. #sohelpful
Shane Taurima using state broadcasting resources plans the downfall of National and to ascend the Tamaki Makaurau seat. Oh dear.
So the position of Manager of Maori and Pacific programmes at TVNZ is up for grabs. But it's a poisoned chalice. Much jealousy surrounds it.
I reckon someone at TVNZ picked up the phone and called TV3 with the good oil on Shane. Tough setting a news agenda,then being the agenda?
So who's the source of the leak with regard to the #TaurimaScandal. Well the mafia always start with their closest associates.
Panui-Morris and Kuiti must also go from the building.Political activism within a media organisation is a dangerous slope to a resignation.
No wonder we get shit programmes out of that Maori Pa at TVNZ.Now we know why.Too busy doing dodgy stuff for Shane Taurimas political career
@DavidCunliffeMP was right to distance himself from the Taurima Scandal. Other heads at TVNZ need to roll as well. Will Marae Investigate?
Sounds like Shane Taurima should be under police investigation.
Will be interesting to see what Shane Taurima does after losing Ikaroa Rawhiti - can't really go back to journalism after declaring colours
Taurima sez politiical journo career shot no matter - is standing big risk or has Labour H/O sd its in the bag
So was Shane Taurima a Labour Party member and interviewer at TVNZ? What price independence these days? Seriously.