Foreign-owned government subsidised news outlet NZ Herald mocked for basic errors and grifting.
A ‘hitpiece’ on independent journalist Chantelle Baker in this morning’s NZ Herald has been called the ‘dumbest piece of fake news today,’ by Rebel News Australia journalist Avi Yemini.
The article was penned by journalist David Fisher.
The first piece of misinformation was in relation to Baker’s age. The article said she was 30 years old, when in fact she is 29.
The legacy media publication is also accused of photoshopping the image used in the article to distort Baker’s features and make her nose and chin look bigger than they are in reality, leading to claims of mysogyny and journalistic ‘filth.’
‘NZHerald have intentionally distorted her face in what is a pathetic and dangerous attempt to dehumanise her. I didn’t think I could despise the NZ MSM more than I already did yet here we are,’ tweeted @MalakaiTM.
DTNZ is unable to comment on the contents of the article as none of our staff bother to read the NZ Herald anymore.
The article’s introduction, which was available to the public, claimed Baker had ‘turned the support generated at the Parliament protests last year into a donation stream that has funded her new career’.
Responding to this claim, Yemini said the fact the article was published behind a paywall ‘lacked self-awareness’.
‘Even if you’re considering to pay to get access to that rubbish – don’t, because even the most basic facts David Fisher couldn’t get right,’ – a reference to Baker’s age.
‘Many have decided we are not clicking on any of the MSM sites anymore to pay them. They must be finding it tricky if they have to bring out the lead guy. Even that isn’t working. People see the headlines and think it’s alie. No bother reading it. Lost their credibility,’ wrote one commenter.
Another wrote, ‘Lolol the irony. The herald also gets our tax money from the government, so anyone like chantelle who doesn’t agree with govt ideology gets a hit-piece done on them.’
As this article was being prepared for publishing Baker tweeted her opinion of the NZ Herald report, just after 5pm:
‘Far out. I’ve just read the whole article from @nzherald and the blatant lies to mistruths are astounding. From how many we have working with us, to how I’m funded, to our trip, to the water for Wairoa. What a hilarious, complete mess they made of trying to write about me!’