#sevensharp

In 2009, TVNZ’s Sunday programme, with the help of Mike King and SAFE, exposed the cruelty to pigs on our farms. It created such an uproar that it led to a labelling scheme to assure consumers that pork was being farmed under proper animal welfare guidelines. It was a perfect example of advocacy journalism that used its platform to inform viewers, and enact change.

It’s a sign of how far TVNZ’s compass has swung now that when confronted with images of calfs being mistreated on farms – also thanks to SAFE – their response is to defend the perpetrators and appeal to patriotism.

In a piece on Seven Sharp, Tim Wilson puts the question to people on the street: “Do you support the shaming of the New Zealand dairy industry internationally with this footage?” The interviewee has to rephrase his question, showing a greater understanding of his job than he does: “People trying to show others about what’s happening? Yeah I support it.”

Back in the studio, Mike Hosking’s first question to SAFE executive director Hans Kriek is, “What’s the point of releasing this video internationally” – (apparently Mike doesn’t understand what the internet is, every video is released “internationally”) – “if you’re looking to genuinely help out as opposed to score points.” In Mike’s world, everyone with a different view from him is out to score points.

Kriek points out what should be obvious to anyone with a brain – SAFE have been doing this for years, going to the companies responsible, and nothing changes. So public shaming is the only way to enact change – hell, it’s the way it got on your very show, Mike! But please, continue standing up for the big guy.

Hosking simultaneously holds the position that this example of animal cruelty is the way “we do it in this country” AND we shouldn’t let anyone else in the world know about it. It’s almost like we should be ashamed of it, or something.