A few days ago Poneke and The Hive had a bit of a debate about the less than critical eye given by some journalists to some politicians at national and local level in New Zealand. Essentially the issue is access. Those given unfettered access get the scoops and therefore don't want to be biting the hand that feeds them. The classic case we cited was Trans Tasman's Ian Templeton and his weekly sessions with various PMs, including the incumbent.
This phenomenon is not unique to New Zealand.
Glen Greenwald from Salon today writes about the same phenomenon in US Politics.
"At The New Republic's blog, Jason Zengerle confesses what is and has long been too obvious to require much proof -- the media is uncontrollably in love with John McCain. And Zengerle's reason why this is so is equally unsurprising: McCain gives them unfettered access, so they love him. Everything is about them, and whichever politician flatters and charms these adolescent, coddled narcissists is the recipient of their uncritical love (that explains much, though not all, of their profound failure in covering the Bush campaigns and administration)."
