Remarkable absence of coverage for a political blog

The Northcote by-election has been a significant political story over the last few days.

Last night there was a post and discussion on it here, Also:

Kiwiblog – Northcote Results
The Standard – The Northcote by election
The Daily Blog- National hold Northcote with mutilated majority

A notable omission is Whale Oil, who last posted on the by-election in a post grizzling about the lack of promotion in other for their preferred candidate on Thursday. I commented on that, referring to WO as a “largely irrelevant activist blog” and in response ‘Spanish Bride’ commented here:

then why on earth do you continue to write about NZ’s most popular, most read, number one political blog?

You have ignored everything that doesn’t fit your niche blog narrative but you are only fooling yourself.

In short you ignore all the many indications that Whaleoil is a highly successful new media organisation.

You can make your case for why Whaleoil is an insignificant niche blog till the cows come home. If it makes you feel better to believe that then good for you. This level of delusion, however, is better suited to a left-wing blog.

The self claimed “number one political blog” not covering the by-election result yesterday seems remarkable. Just about every media organisation covered the by-election apart from WO.

I think this makes a fairly good case for seeing Whaleoil as an insignificant niche blog.

They may say something about the by-election today, but it is unlikely to be anything like significant media analysis.

10 Comments

by Pete George on 10th June 2018 • Permalink

Posted in Blogs

Tagged by-election, Northcote, Whale Oil

Posted by Pete George on 10th June 2018

https://yournz.org/2018/06/10/remarkable-absence-of-coverage-for-a-political-blog/

10 Comments

George
/ 10th June 2018

WO has done its dash.
With all the shutting down of posters who dare to dissent.
And the begging people to sign on make WO money posts.
Not worth it.
You and Kiwi Blog are worth reading and commenting on subjects.
Thanks

Reply
Pete George
/ 10th June 2018

WO is behind the times with a lot current political stories, and seems to feed off other blogs, and media that they despise.

Farrar at Kiwiblog is not all that up to date at times (young family pressures no doubt).

Yesterday Kiwiblog posted about Business confidence in free fall, this was done similarly at WO this morning – The winter of discontent is upon us

That quoted a Herald article from Thursday.

Earlier yesterday on Kiwiblog: Data continues to show foreign buyers was hysteria, this morning on WO –
Labour’s chinky names scandal exposed as a lie

That references a Stuff article from Thursday.

Perhaps WO’s crossword, sudoku and world news quiz are more up to date.

Reply
- Griff
  / 10th June 2018
  
  Spin.
  We dont have a housing issue in outer wopswops. If you want to live cheaply there are plenty of places were you can buy or rent a cheap home.
  We have a housing price issue in Auckland.
  
  Nearly 20% of the homes sold in central Auckland in the first three months of this year were sold to overseas buyers, according to Statistics NZ.
  
  Nationally, just 3.3% of home sale were to overseas buyers in the first quarter of the year, up from 2.9% in the fourth quarter of last year.
  
  But the figures also show that overseas buyers have been most active in those areas where the housing shortage is greatest and property prices are highest, with 9.7% of all homes sales in the Queenstown-Lakes district going to overseas buyers and 7.3% in the Auckland region.
  
  These high prices because demand accedes supply leak over to adjacent regions as kiwi buyers are pushed outwards. if you add 20% extra buyers you alter supply demand hence price goes up.
  
  You can not have it both ways.
  We can also link to Collins claiming banning offshore buyers will collapse the market .https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/06/govt-s-foreign-buyer-ban-will-destroy-the-housing-market-collins.html
  
  National party spin.
  The right wing blogs are focusing on the national numbers ignoring that regions that have undergone massive house price inflation are where the non residents are distorting the market .
  
  Reply
- Conspiratoor
  / 10th June 2018
  
  Seems he’s been listening to you …and even thrown some cutting edge commentary in…
  
  https://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2018/06/national-retains-northcote-with-much-reduced-majority/
  
  Reply
  - traveller
    / 10th June 2018
    
    Cutting edge? Weedy berm is all
    
    Reply
Gezza
/ 10th June 2018

As WO allows has beens and ne’er do wells like Sir Bob Jones (who hardly anybody remembers now) to post guest rants. Done for.

Reply
Duncan Brown
/ 10th June 2018

The Spinoff. Alan Duff switches allegiance from National to Labour on account of a “pretty young woman”. Where is the outrage! Silly little girl…
https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/08-06-2018/alan-duff-threatens-violence-against-spinoff-cameraman-at-labour-event/

Reply
- PartisanZ
  / 10th June 2018
  
  Crikey, how can Alan Duff be a major, celebrity contributor at Kiwi Frontline and also be guest speaker in support of a Labour Party candidate at the same time?
  
  “Danger, danger Grant Robertson … Ethical Disconnect! Ethical Disconnect!”
  
  Does politics have no shame!?
  
  Reply
Alan Wilkinson
/ 10th June 2018

Presumably WO did not land a campaign contract to give it skin in the game. Times are tough in the whaling industry..

Reply