You are making this up

July 5, 2007 2:19 PM

Tornadoes have touched down in New Zealand, and journalistic standards have vanished into thin air, not surprising with the current standard of NZ news output.
posted by Samuel Farrow (26 comments total)

Similar to the reuters fake beirut photo from last year.
posted by Samuel Farrow at 2:24 PM on July 5, 2007

not surprising with the current standard of NZ news output.

who: autistic boy
what: found
when: today
where: Auckland
why: lost
how: police

What more do you want?
posted by eddydamascene at 2:27 PM on July 5, 2007

News [uses fake photo] at 11...

I think that if we knew how often this kind of thing really happens, we might trust the nightly news about as much as a presidential press conference. Still, doesn't strike me as a terribly big deal.

And that second link was more like a crawler blurb than a story.
posted by mystyk at 2:38 PM on July 5, 2007

who: me
what: work
when: now
where: Wellington
why: money
how: feet

It still doesn't make it a news story.
posted by Samuel Farrow at 2:40 PM on July 5, 2007

Were the tornadoes spinning in the opposite direction from tornadoes in the Northern hemisphere?
posted by fandango_matt at 2:40 PM on July 5, 2007

who: me
what: work
when: now
where: Wellington
why: money
how: feet

It still doesn't make it a news story.

Wellington Man Makes Money with Feet -- tell me more!
posted by eddydamascene at 2:51 PM on July 5, 2007 [1 favorite]

There was a time when newspapers used 'Artist's Interpretations' of something when they couldn't actually get a picture of it.

They should go back to doing that, but they need to make sure that they are clearly labeling any photo that has been retouched to make a point.

I suggest this, because knowing how profit motivated news sources are willing to be less than ethical and use scare tactics to sell papers, I like the idea of one day opening the Wall Street Journal and seeing an article on the Rapture complete with an Artist's Interpretation which was replete with fire, brimstone, four horsemen, and just for good measure had some UFOs and unicorns. (It's an Interpretation, doncha know.)

If they are going to tamper with the news, let's at least have some fun and do it big.
posted by quin at 2:55 PM on July 5, 2007

journalistic standards have vanished into thin air, not surprising with the current standard of NZ news output considering that all the Kiwi journalists are probably living in Bondi with the rest of their countrymen.
posted by UbuRoivas at 3:06 PM on July 5, 2007

As the late great Rob Muldoon said “New Zealanders who emigrate to Australia raise the IQ of both countries.”
posted by Samuel Farrow at 3:09 PM on July 5, 2007

Missing Wellington Samuel Farrow work
Stuff.co.nz | Thursday, 5 July 2007


Feet have work a 10-year-old Samuel Farrow, who disappeared this afternoon.

Feet said the Samuel Farrow had been work and was safe and well.
posted by parallax7d at 3:32 PM on July 5, 2007 [2 favorites]

“New Zealanders who emigrate to Australia raise the IQ of both countries.”

Makes sense. In terms of intelligence, the hierarchy would be: sheep > kiwis > kangaroos.
posted by UbuRoivas at 4:23 PM on July 5, 2007

New Zealanders who migrate to Australia raise the proportion on welfare in both countries.

Seriously though, I love New Zealand, but the news standards there are pretty bloody ordinary, from what I have observed (only a couple of months in the country in the past five years).
posted by wilful at 4:31 PM on July 5, 2007

I hope you are using > in the arrow sense and not in the Greater Than sense. Because there is no way that sheep are smarter than kangaroos.

However, knowing no New Zealanders personally, I'll refrain from making any judgments one way or another about whether or not they are smarter than a kangaroo. They seem nice enough, so I'll grant that they are probably smarter than the average sheep though.
posted by quin at 4:33 PM on July 5, 2007

Having lived among kiwis for the past two years, I can tell you that most of them would probably say that they're much smarter than sheep, but only half as sexy.
posted by supercrayon at 4:48 PM on July 5, 2007 [1 favorite]

In terms of intelligence, the hierarchy is: West Islanders > North Islanders > South Islanders
posted by Samuel Farrow at 5:09 PM on July 5, 2007

And in terms of sexiness, the hierarchy is apparently: Merinos > Borderdales > Suffolks
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:28 PM on July 5, 2007 [2 favorites]

I am a Romney man myself, but each to their own.
posted by Samuel Farrow at 5:30 PM on July 5, 2007

romneys?!? ergh! you make me sick! pervs like you should be shipped off to some godforsaken island & left to rot!
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:45 PM on July 5, 2007

Those desiring some NON-photoshopped tornadoes may enjoy this set from July 3rd in Kit Carson County, Colorado, by famed chaser Roger Hill.
posted by spock at 6:07 PM on July 5, 2007

Border Leicesters are definitely an acquired taste though.
posted by wilful at 6:42 PM on July 5, 2007

...journalistic standards have vanished into thin air, not surprising considering that Kiwi journalists are probably living in Bondi with the rest of their countrymen.

Well someone has to do help you with your writing.
posted by dydecker at 6:51 PM on July 5, 2007

Yes, if they could do help me with my writing it would to be greatly appreciated.
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:27 PM on July 5, 2007 [1 favorite]

Throng's blog is carrying a statement from TV3 about the use of the image.

"TV3 was misled into using this image very briefly. As soon as we were advised it was potentially fake, we removed it from our system. It has served as a timely reminder to be vigilant with viewer contributions, particularly given the technology available to people at home."

Here is a bigger copy of the photo. It looks a little more than potentially fake to me.

I hear that a number of other media outlets here used the image as well, nobody actually thinking, where did this image come from?

Instead the news outlets stumbled along blindly with everyone just following the flock (excuse the pun).
posted by Samuel Farrow at 7:52 PM on July 5, 2007

some real photos of the damage done

doesn't seem like much of a tornado, really
posted by pyramid termite at 8:00 PM on July 5, 2007

Border Leicesters are definitely an acquired taste though.

Hm, I haven't had one of those before. Shall I invite myself around & we can spit-roast one together?
posted by UbuRoivas at 8:03 PM on July 5, 2007

And here is a news article about it.
posted by Samuel Farrow at 9:31 PM on July 5, 2007