Media more vital than ever

It is a truth universally acknowledged that power tends to corrupt.

New Zealand continues to be measured as — and pride itself on being — one of the least corrupt countries in the world. Yet, achieving that designation does not occur without principles and policies, political will and press surveillance.

The  latter is becoming increasingly difficult. The media is facing a perfect storm of political pressure, public indifference and reducing revenue.

The digital age has created an expectation content can be accessed anywhere by anyone at any time — but without any cost to the consumer. It has been a powerful "citizen journalism" tool, particularly under authoritarian regimes,

but has also created an environment in which any individual can be a content creator — for good or bad.

Traditional media are having to cut costs (aka journalists) in order to survive. It is harder for those still striving to stick to their core mission —  of informing the public and holding those in authority to account —  to do so. Some have simply been unwilling or unable to do so and have joined the race to the bottom.

There can be no doubt governments, government-funded organisations, powerful corporations and lobby groups are taking advantage of the situation, which has changed markedly in only a few years.

Many central and local government departments and publicly funded institutions have more communications and public relations staff than there are  journalists in media editorial departments.

Where once journalists would have easy access to those in power, including being able to phone ministers directly, now there is an army of gatekeepers. Often,  largely uninformative responses from spokespeople are the new norm. The Official Information Act — designed to make access to public information easier — is being misused by those in power. Information that is eventually released is often redacted.

In the South, two major organisations — Environment Canterbury and the Southern District Health Board —  remain under full or partial government-appointed commissioner teams, rather than publicly elected boards.

The press has become an easy scapegoat, derided even by the so-called leader of the "free" world as the "lying media" spreading "fake news".

The job of holding the powerful to account is difficult. This newspaper is aware of the power and responsibility it holds, too. We acknowledge we make mistakes — and endeavour to correct them when we do so. We are aware we live and work as part of a community, and do not take lightly stories which reflect others in a poor light. Our role is often a thankless one.

Yet, our role is as vital as ever. Our pressure on behalf of the public has resulted in changes for the better. A focus on Delta/Aurora turned what the companies believed to be a  "public perception" issue into an accelerated  pole-replacement programme in which public safety became paramount. Our pressure on the Southern District Health Board (both under the board and commissioner team) has revealed the depth of dissatisfaction at various levels (public, clinical staff, management and ministerial), and brought funding matters, service provision and the parlous state of the Dunedin Hospital  buildings into the national consciousness.

Those who have felt the South is viewed with some contempt from Wellington have now received a public apology from the commissioner team about treatment delays, an acknowledgement the public’s concerns are valid. It is to be hoped our continued focus on the new hospital  results in a building and services that meet the South’s needs.

This newspaper also hopes a new government term will bring a renewed focus on the importance of the "fourth estate" in a functioning democracy.