Something Rotten in Denmark

The Boon of a Disinterested Free Press

A free, active, disinterested press has sometimes been called the Fourth Estate of government.  When it does its job properly the benefits of its constraint upon abuse of power are significant.  The corollary is also true: when the press abuses its position and tolerates conflicts between its own, commercial interests and the impartial truth it can do great damage to the body politic.  Regrettably, we have seen far too much of the latter: a self-interested Press sensationalising stories to generate headlines, gain attention, and increase subscriptions.  When this happens, truth is the first casualty.  Civic freedom is the next. 

Here is a prima facie example of the salutary power of the Fourth Estate--a free press--properly used.
   It concerns a Government department which appears to have misled its minister and the public.  The press report is from Phil Kitchin of Stuff:

A recording of a critical meeting between senior ACC managers and the whistleblower who exposed a massive privacy breach reveals the corporation misled its minister and the public. The corporation has alleged that client Bronwyn Pullar threatened at the meeting to go to the media unless she was given a guaranteed two-year benefit. It also alleged she said that she would withhold details of the breach involving private details of 6500 other clients – including sexual abuse victims – if her demands were not met.

Once details of the privacy breach were revealed by The Dominion Post, the ACC referred its extortion allegations against Ms Pullar to police. However, a recording of a key meeting in December between Ms Pullar, her support person Michelle Boag – a senior National Party figure – and two ACC managers is at odds with the corporation's claims that were included in a report ordered by ACC Minister Judith Collins.

The ACC was given a transcript of the meeting more than three weeks ago, but has refused to correct its report. . . .

The Dominion Post has heard the recording and had obtained an accurate transcript of it. It contradicts several key elements in the ACC report.

The transcript shows:

Neither Ms Pullar nor Ms Boag threatened to go to the media or withhold the data if Ms Pullar was not given a guaranteed two years' compensation. ACC's statement that it was not given specific details of the breach is misleading. ACC was told the data was "highly sensitive information", including names and details of 6500 claimants.

ACC was not told the data was sent by one of the managers. Ms Boag said an ACC staff member sent it.  After the meeting, ACC said it tried to find the breach by checking all emails from the managers to Ms Pullar but found nothing. After senior ACC staff, including chief executive Ralph Stewart, were given the opportunity to hear the recording, the corporation declined to withdraw its complaint to police.

Good work.  We now wait to see what actions will be taken by the Minister against her department staff as  the alleged defalcations and distortions and untruths continue to be proven up or otherwise.  

This is why we need a free press, able to lay aside its commercial conflicts of interest. 

Hat Tip: Kiwiblog.