Today sees a couple of blogposts published about the media and, more particularly, the media’s anti-Labour pro-Key bias.

It might even be true. Patrick Gower’s behaviour around some Labour politicians often resembles more a bounty hunter about to get his man, than an impartial journalist eliciting information from an interview subject.

And the New Zealand Herald frequently thunders about how various Labour policies are unaffordable or damaging to business, while conveniently ignoring the flaws in National’s own policies. It’s editorial attack on the Best Start policy is a good example of this. If people earning $150,000 don’t deserve an extra $60 a week from the government, does that mean that the Herald will be campaigning against wealthy older people receiving NZ Super? Like me, I’m sure you won’t be holding your breath for that to happen.

But it has always been this way. Folks, this shit ain’t new. Despite that fact that establishment-owned media organs will more often than not take the side of capital over labour, competent Labour oppositions have managed to win power from time to time.

Moreover, the decline of traditional forms of media like newspapers, together with the rise of social media and citizen journalism, ought to be loosening the grip of the big media organisations on political reporting.

But the narrative that it’s “all the media’s fault” is a compelling one for some Labour supporters. It means that slacktivists like me can take it easy during election year, since the whole thing’s rigged, so what’s the point in trying?