>> this, from @paul_barlownz is a very good summary of that unseemly (vaguely corrupt) captured media "race to carry react" effect in action https://youtu.be/Xt2pdds4mKo

Good on you for producing that video.
You're right, the RUSH to uncritically platform the reaction to the book in favour of the content of the book really shows where their (including RNZ!) heads are at.

Watched it last night. David Fisher clearly has the receipts dealing with the Dirty Politics cabal, & the scars to prove it.

I'm appalled at the dollops of "devil's advocacy" pushback some of TU's media parrots (not Fisher) have pushed out in protection of (their sources?) Farrar & Williams.

>> Tsk. What was I thinking? He’s got another half dozen sock puppet astroturf personas he can scuttle in to.

Please tell me what I care about, oh wise Saint Christopher.

Yeah, not necessarily a good trade.

Hypocrites all the way down, with that bunch.

Me too — but Williams has demonstrated spectacularly poor judgment in the past regarding hallucinations about his ‘reputation’.

"No, we won't agree to be interviewed by TVNZ's Simon Mercep because we might not like some of the questions he asks us, and also we might be (cough) taking (cough splutter) legal action."

#nzpol

Well, as often attributed to Mandy Rice-Davies:
“He would say that, wouldn’t he?”

No, it seems they have become accustomed to their supine puppy-like media supporters credulously spotlighting & reporting their ‘rebuttals’ & reckons.
Hard to walk away from a ready audience.

Sleazy bunch, if you ask me.

Ha, I'd forgotten Ashley Church was a predecessor of Darth Vad-- oops I mean Ruth Richardson in the role of chair of the dirty politics/PR attack machine misleadingly known as the Taxpayers Union.

Wow is that right Keith?

>> I remember Fran O’Sullivan writing in the Herald (or somewhere), that Judge Katz‘s summary of facts in her judgment was more damaging to Jordan Williams‘s reputation than anything Colin Craig had published about him