The inside story on media manipulation by Colin Espiner

This from Colin Espiner at the Press

Espiner is one of the best analysts in the Gallery...

Here's is an insight about how a bunch of journos got manipulated..

Shame on them and there's a bottle of wine from the prawn to Espiner for this stirling piece of work .....

The media had its own version of America’s Meltdown Monday yesterday. Stories came thick and fast.
First we learned the privileges committee report was coming out late at night - not today, as we had previously thought. Then news emerged late in the day that the US had agreed to join the P4 group of countries, which includes New Zealand, in talks on a free trade deal. Finally, TV One broadcast - when it could finally get it to air - news that John Key had been less than honest about his share dealings in 2003.
What an amazing coincidence that three big stories would all break on the same day. Wasn’t it?
Um well no, not really. Because it turns out that Labour fed the story about Key’s share trades to TVNZ late on Sunday night for use on Monday, knowing that the privileges committee report was about to blast Winston Peters to smithereens. And Trade Minister Phil Goff leaked details of the FTA announcement to selected media - TVNZ, TV3 and Radio New Zealand - five days ago, on the condition they kept it quiet until yesterday.

Now that is pure manipulation - I hope they all hang there heads in shame.....!