Eleanor Catton has managed to reveal the mechanism of the National party media dictatorship this could be extremely dangerous for the survival of our democracy. According to Sean Plunkett you are not permitted to criticise the National government its unpatriotic and against the people of New Zealand.  Too many reporters within journalism have intimate relationships with the National party that are a conflict of interest designed to mislead the New Zealand public. These reporters are holding back real journalists like Andrea Vance. It is unnatural for the press gallery to be uncritical of a seven year old government. The Prime minister office is pouring to many resources into dirty politics and controling the media and little effort to tackle the housing crisis or poverty reduction.

The New Zealand Herald is a strong part of the National party media strategy.