Mar 9, 2008

Journalistic Integrity: Fran v. The Independent

We awoke this morning to several negative comments being read out on media watch about NZ Herald columnist Fran O'Sullivan (the accusation being that she was displaying political bias - has anyone read most of her columns this week???).

Mid week when the Independent Financial Review came out we were surprised by an article by Denise McNab suggesting that Auckland Airport Chair Tony Frankham was considering action against the Herald on Sunday over last week's column by Fran.

This is the subject of Fran's column today. She asks important questions about who planted this story which is completely false. The Hive agrees with Fran - The Independent owes the New Zealand public an explanation. b

Frankham said: "I am honest to a fault I will not tell untruths... that's exactly the position. My colleagues are saying I probably shouldn't have told anybody I gave that advice to the Prime Minister.
"But you put to me a question, I had to either lie, or say I'm not going to tell you the answer or tell you the truth. I chose to tell you the truth."


It should have been obvious to the Independent all along that last week's column relied - in part - on some frank on-the-record comments made to me by Frankham.

So if it wasn't Frankham who planted the story, maybe the Independent can enlighten us who gave McNabb the "bum steer".

This would make good subject matter for next week's Media Watch.