John MacDonald: Mark and Paul - Facebook friends no more

There’s a thing in politics called “optics”. 

Which is exactly what it sounds like. It’s all about being seen to do something. It’s also about how people see whatever it is you’re doing. 

You know: “Mmmm, how will this look, do you reckon? What will people think when they see us doing this, do you think?" 

And that is exactly what’s behind the Government’s Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill. Which is politico or legalise-speak for making the big social media companies pay a fee if they want to make money off the news and current affairs content made by our local media companies. 

On the face of it, it’s a perfectly reasonable thing to do. To expect people who make money oft of a product other outfits spend money making or producing, to pay something for the privilege. 

That’s on the face of it. But, in reality, this is going to go nowhere.  

They're already doing this in Australia with the likes of Facebook and Google but, at the end of this year, Facebook is pulling out. So, if Mark Zuckerberg reckons he can live without news from Australia, will he feel the same about news from New Zealand? Of course he will. And this will end up going nowhere. 

Funnily enough, that’s what National thought last year too when Labour came up with pretty much this very same piece of legislation. 

Last year, National said it was a “shakedown”. Which is slang for extortion or blackmail. By yesterday, though, it had changed its tune and was saying it was “something worth doing”.  

That’s what Media Minister Paul Goldsmith was saying. 

I thought Labour was dreaming when it started flogging this idea last year too. But I’m not going to pile on National and accuse it of doing a U-turn or giving in because, as I’ve said before, what good is a mind if you can’t change it? 

What’s more, I don’t think National —in its heart of hearts— has done a U-Turn at all. Because I actually don’t think it has changed its mind. All it’s doing here is dealing with the optics. 

Because, think about it, come Friday, the ratings for the news on TV3 are probably going to go through the roof. Because, on Friday night, Newshub is going to put-out its last-ever TV news bulletin. 

The same thing happened when TV3 pulled the plug on Campbell Live. In its last weeks, that show had some of its best ratings ever. It’s classic rubbernecking. People love to watch something going down in flames. And this Friday will be no different. 

So you can you imagine the heat coming the Government’s way, the closer we get to Friday and the closer we get to Newshub’s demise. Can you imagine the heat it would be getting if it hadn’t come up with something that made it at least look like it was doing something to help-out the media sector? 

To make it look like it was doing the complete opposite of what the former Media Minister Melissa Lee did —or didn't do— and who got kicked out of that role for being completely hopeless at the optics. That’s what it came down to. 

Which, by the way, if you’re Paul Goldsmith and you’re told you’re the new Media Minister and you have to do a better job than Melissa Lee - well, probably not too difficult. 

So, what he did yesterday - 72 hours before Newshub turns off the studio lights for the very last time, is he dragged out something Labour tried to sell previously just so he can say "da-da, we care, we’re doing something, we love the media just as much as you do, and we ate Facebook just as much as you do blah blah blah blah blah.” 

One problem, though. National’s coalition partner ACT can see through the optics —just like I can— and is pulling out the old “agree to disagree” clause in its coalitio

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from Newstalks EDB.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Is the thing in politics called optics. All right, optics,
which is exactly what it sounds like. It's all about
being seen to do something or you know, how people
see whatever it is, whatever it is you are doing.
You know, hmm, how will this look? Do you reckon? Well,

(00:33):
people think when they see us doing this, I'll think
it's a good thing or the thing is a bad thing.
And that is exactly what's behind the government's Fair Digital
News Bargaining Bill, which is politico will legally speak for
making the big social media companies pay a fee if
they want to make money off the news and current
affairs content made by our local media companies. This one

(00:56):
included nz ME, New Zealand Media and Entertainment, which not
just owns News Talks EDB, but a whole lot of
other radio stations, newspapers and online platforms. And on the
face of an a it's a perfectly reasonable thing to
do to expect people who make money out of a
product other outfits spend money making or producing, to expect

(01:18):
them to pay something for the privilege that's on the
face of it, but in reality, take it from me,
this is going to go nowhere. They're already doing this
in Australia with the likes of Facebook and Gurgle. But
at the end of this year, Facebook's pulling out. So
if Mark Zuckerberg, who owns Meta, which owns Facebook, if

(01:39):
he reckons he can live without news from Australia, is
he going to feel the same about news from New Zealand.
Of course, of course he will, which is why this
will go nowhere. Funnily enough, I'm not the first person
to point this out. That's what National thought last year
too when Labor came up with pretty much this very
same piece of legislation. Last year, National said it was

(02:01):
a shakedown. I had to look up the meaning of that.
Shakedown is slang for extortion or blackmail. By yesterday, though
yesterday it had changed its tune and was saying it
was quote something worth doing. Last year, shakedown was blackmail.
Now it's something worth doing. That's what Media Minister Paul

(02:21):
Goldsmith was saying. Now. By the way, I thought Labor
was dreaming too when it started flogging the idea last year.
And I'm not going to pile on National and accused
it of doing a U turn or giving in or
whatever terms some other people say them to be using
about all this, and I'm not going to do it
for a couple of reasons. Well, One, you've probably heard
me say this before. What good is a mind if
you can't change it. Two, I don't think National and

(02:46):
its Heart of Hearts has done a U turn at all,
because I actually don't think it has changed its mind.
All I was doing here is dealing with what I
was talking about just before the optics. Because think about it,
Come Friday, this Friday, the ratings for the news on
TV three are probably going to go through the roof
because on Friday night, news Hub is going to point

(03:08):
out its last ever TV news bullet. Same thing happened
when TV three pulled the plug on Campbell Live. Remember that,
and it's last few weeks that show had some of
its best ratings ever. It's classic rubbinecking. People love to
watch something go down in flames, and this Friday will
be no different. Now. Can you imagine the heat coming
the Government's way. The closer we get to Friday, and

(03:29):
the closer we get to news Hub's demise, can you
imagine the heat the government would be getting if it
hadn't come up with something that made it at least
look like it was doing something to help out the
media sector, to make it look like it was doing
the complete opposite of what the former Media Minister Melissa
Lee did or didn't do, and who got kicked out

(03:52):
of that role in cabinet for being completely hopeless. That
the optics, because that's what it came down to, which,
by the way, if you're Paul Goldsmith and you're told
that you're the new Media Minister and you have to
do a better job than Melissa Lee did with the optics,
were probably not too difficult. And that's what he did yesterday,
seventy two hours before news Hub turns off the studio

(04:12):
lights for the very last time. He dragged out something
Labor tried to sell previously, which National thought back then
was a dog, which I thought was a dog, just
so he can God da, we care. We're doing something.
We love the media just as much as you do,
and we hate Facebook just as much as you do.
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. One problem, though

(04:33):
National's Coalition partner Act can see through the optics just
like I can, and just pulling out the old agree
to disagree clause and its coalition agreement just like New
Zealand first did the other week over the COVID stuff,
which means National now has to go cap in hand
to Labor to get it to support the fair News,
Fair Digital News Bargaining bill terrible name and one day

(04:54):
from now we'll find out what Chris hip cons says
to say about that. Here's my pick. Label will support
it because it'll give it the opportunity to crow about
its great idea and how the government has done what
social media and nasties are doing, stealing their ideas and content,
when what Labour should really do is be gracious. Labour
should accept that it's an idea that was never going

(05:15):
to work when it was pushing for it, and except
that it's still an idea that is never going to fly.
Well that's my take on it. What about you. The
government's going to demand the big international social media companies
to pay to publish news content created by New Zealand
media companies. They're doing it in Australia come the end

(05:35):
of the year, though, Facebook's going to pull out, so
if Mark Zuckerberg reckons he can live without news from Australia.
Will he feel the same about news from New Zealand?
Will this end up going nowhere?

Speaker 1 (05:47):
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