National's cave-in on a media bail-out is misguided and will have the same effect on trust in media that the strings-attached Public Interest Journalism Fund did - it will deepen the public distrust.
It also makes PM Chris Luxon look like a pushover, giving in to the pressure poured on by media outlets addicted to handouts like the PIJF.
If Facebook recponds to their pressure to pay for NZ news content by blocking NZ news content, traffic to NZ news websites will dry up, hastening their demise.
Former Broadcasting Minister Melissa Lee had a better idea: when told that Newshub was closing, her relatable reaction was little more than a shrug.
