Spam Journalism #48

Spam Journalism: The spurious use of sensational headlines to add spice to an otherwise pointless article.

The ever-reliable spam producing machine at the Dominion Post provides us with a puzzling headline:

Plan to gut Health Ministry

“A national Health Board to oversee and fund district health boards could be established under a radical overhaul of the sector.

“The proposal is a centrepiece of a report from a ministerial review that was completed last month.

“Health Minister Tony Ryall has received the review and is due to report to Cabinet on it by the end of the month, his spokesman said.”

Firstly, there is nothing in the article, or the report that prompted the article about “gutting” the Health Ministry. Where the sub editor found that, I have no idea. Something he was smoking, perhaps?

Secondly, this is a report, not policy. It has not even been presented to cabinet yet, let alone discussed in parliament. Ministers get these things all the time. Some might even contain a good idea or two. But a report remains a report until cabinet gets behind it. All this excitement about the musings of the bureaucracy is laughable.

And finally, the stated policy of National is no major changes to the health system this term. There is far too little good contained in this report to result is such a major policy shift, and both Ryall and Key know it.

But the report is correct about one thing. The massive rise in health costs is not sustainable in the long run, no  matter what Ruth “I can spend you money better than you can” Dyson says. Just ask America.

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