To the New Zealand Mainstream Media
Addressing Liz Gunn MSM hit pieces, FreeNZ's Values, and sharing Kiwi Gemma Stratford's Story
In response to the attacks on our colleague Liz Gunn by the NZ media, I would like to introduce the FreeNZ media/news company and to offer the NZ public some broad insights into who we are as an organisation, as individuals, and what we stand for. Our team encompasses a diverse group of kiwis from various occupational backgrounds. In a time of increasing polarisation, the story of how we came together is a remarkable one. The FreeNZ team reaches across the political spectrum from moderate left to right, geographically we inhabit the length and breadth of the country. Among our ranks are experienced media professionals, journalists, teachers, IT professionals, librarians, corporate governance professionals, medical professionals, project managers, designers, lawyers, researchers, and students. We typify a cross-section of New Zealand society uniting together on a voluntary basis around a singular conviction — In the context of informed consent, the growing jab injury reports we are receiving need to be shared with the New Zealand public. Additionally, the FreeNZ media team aims to report critically on the wider milieu of covid-19 issues as a means for offering an informed counterpoint to the single source of truth government narrative. We do so as an emphatic rejection of censorship, and in defence of the democratic rights of all New Zealanders to engage in open dialogue and informed debate.
The FreeNZ team are unburdened by commercial constraints or political allegiances. This affords us the unbridled power to report assiduously on the difficult stories being shared directly with us by kiwis. For the most part, FreeNZ has been giving voice to under-represented New Zealanders whose stories are unpalatable to the MSM, (detailed later in this article). Because FreeNZs investigative journalism is unrestrained by any threats to our revenue flow, we are uncompromised in our ability to uphold the democratic principles of a free press.
“The idea of the fourth estate is that those who exercise the greatest power need to be challenged by adversarial pushback and an insistence on transparency; the job of the press is to disprove the falsehoods that power invariably disseminates to protect itself.”
- Glenn Greenwald (journalist, author, lawyer)
So who am I, and how is it that I find myself penning a defence of Liz Gunn in response to MSM hit pieces? I believe a personal introduction is warranted to dispel the ad hominems invariably being aimed at those who question. I’m a 45-year-old Librarian with a 15-year career in a customer-facing community service role. The hub of Libraries I work with are frequented by a colourful coterie of uniquely lovable New Zealanders from many different backgrounds, with unique life experiences, circumstances, motivations, and values. I have never found it acceptable to reduce complex and nuanced human beings to superficial labels, the abhorrent term anti-vaxxer comes to mind. Until recently the organisation I worked for was steeped in an ethos of inclusivity defined by the motto - We work to support, educate and connect communities all across Tāmaki Makaurau, and to acknowledge the mana of each and every Aucklander. It’s hardly surprising that segregation sits uncomfortably with me.
When Liz first popped up on my youtube channel in late 2021, I had been feeling affected by the unsettling polarisation in public opinion surrounding a myriad of Covid-19 issues, vaccine mandates, lockdowns, emergency legislation, Bill Gates etc... Everybody has been hearing it, the polarization in our communities is happening amidst a rising tide of anger and fear. Never in my life have I experienced such division within families, between friends, even between partners.
At that time, my general feeling around Covid-19 was that the government were doing their best in a difficult situation, I would say I was a vaccine agnostic - yet with reservations. I had been struggling to digest the unprecedented social and political changes we were experiencing: rushed emergency health legislation with no sunset clauses, vaccine passports, even the looming uncertainties of digital IDs. I found the mandate to embrace our government as a ‘single source of truth’ equally disquieting. As such, I had been trying to keep an open mind, to engage with a range of fiercely held opinions, and to understand what was going on. The difficulty of doing so was compounded by the deeply unsettling experience of lockdowns, social isolation, and the dysfunction of communicating on social media. At a junction in history when I felt it was more important than ever for Kiwis to come together and talk, conversations on both sides of the covid-19 divide seemed to be descending into a morass of absurd memes, name-calling, or apathetic indifference.
Liz Gunn’s first address to the nation pierced through this turbid atmosphere, resonating deeply with me. Her courage to speak from the heart, and question publicly the ethics of vaccine mandates and the medical segregation of New Zealanders had the effect of a clarion call. Alongside thousands of other New Zealanders, I emailed her. I've included that email below. It offers insights into my thinking at the time and marks a personal turning point that leads down an eye-opening path of inquiry.
Dear Liz
In a climate of fear, maintaining the ability to think and speak freely, and to consider a broad range of ideas becomes increasingly challenging so thank you for speaking so bravely!
I'm an Auckland Librarian concerned about censorship. I’ve found the mandate to embrace our government as a ‘single source of truth,’ and the stifling of our democratic rights to engage in open dialogue and scientific debate astonishing to witness. Traditionally Libraries have been keystones in a healthy democracy, ensuring people have access to a broad range of information, and so I was concerned (although not surprised) to receive an email from our social media team directing staff to push a pro-vaccine stance “When encouraging the vaccination efforts, we should be pointing customers in the direction of official and trusted information — to combat the harmful misinformation that is currently being circulated about the vaccine and COVID-19.”
I requested some clarity from the social media team around Auckland Libraries position concerning public access to a broad range of information "Are Auckland Libraries taking a political stance regarding the information we share publicly with a view to encourage vaccine efforts? If this is the case, should staff be directing customers away from official and trusted information questioning vaccine efficacy?”
I informed the social media team of a request I’d received from the public to share an article on our community library social media page. The article in question raises concerns about boosters, and was published October 9th 2021 in The Lancet (A weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal, among the world's oldest, best-known, and most prestigious general medical journals). The article in question is titled Considerations in boosting COVID-19 vaccine immune responses, and was authored by FDA Director and Deputy Director of the Office of Vaccines Research Marion Gruber and Phillip Kause Available: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02046-8/fulltext
The article raises concerns about myocarditis and the possible long-term health impacts of vaccination boosters. With regards to informed consent, I felt sharing this article would be in the public interest. I also stated that from the perspective of a Librarian, any objections from the social media team would raise some interesting questions around the politics of information sharing, and censorship. I didn't receive a response to my email, but my manager was contacted and told to shut down all Covid related posts on our community library social media page.
Liz responded with the following observation, “What an extraordinary email ... it’s an allegory of so much else that has been manipulated and suppressed.”
Since joining the FreeNZ team in late 2021 I’ve been afforded repeated insights into the truth of Liz’s statement, further bolstering my conviction in the importance of our journalism. I would like to share one of those stories. It’s not an easy read:
Gemma Stratford suffers from a rare mast cell condition which causes multiple allergies including to particular smells, drugs, foods, and to certain heat or cold conditions. Gemma ingests mainly zero sugar electrolyte drinks and barely any normal food for her daily energy intake. Gemma is also registered as being severely anaphylactic to sugar. Sucrose, a stabiliser ingredient in the jab, is dangerous for Gemma. The medical exemption she was issued by her GP was later rejected by Ashley Bloomfield.
Despite multiple serious anaphylactic reactions immediately after her first vaccination, and since then painful seizures up to 10+ times a day, Gemma is being forced into taking the second jab to keep the critical support she needs for her children. Gemma is a paid carer for two of her high-needs children who have disorders including autism, epilepsy, and anaphylaxis and who require 24-hour care. Gemma relies on government financial support to pay for medication and to enable her to care for her children full-time. The regular seizures she is now suffering (following her first jab) make it unsafe for her to drive, and a struggle to care for her children. Gemma is now faced with an unconscionable decision.
FreeNZ is inundated with stories like Gemmas. The view-count and readership for these stories are steadily growing, enough to warrant attention from the mainstream NZ media. Lane Nichols, from a ‘mainstream publication’, recently contacted us with a request for information. We have included some of that telling correspondence below:
Lane Nichols: Hi Liz, Lane Nichols here from the ….. We've been sent a photo that appears to show you dining on Friday night at Lone Star New Lynn. When was this photo taken? Did you show a vaccine pass as required under the COVID protection framework? Are you available to talk?
Liz Gunn: FreeNZ recently conducted an interview with Gemma Stratford. Gemma discusses the impact vaccine mandates have had on her, and her family. Gemma is available and willing to be interviewed by MSM. Her story is available here:
Lane Nichols: Thanks but I’ll leave the rabbit hole fodder to you and your followers.
Hello Lane, the FreeNZ team will continue to report diligently on stories we deem in the public interest. Many of us are doing so while balancing full-time jobs, and working long hours voluntarily to cover the serious performance deficiencies we've identified in your profession. Nonetheless, in the interests of fair-mindedness, we would like to extend the benefit of the doubt to you, and more broadly to the NZ media for your neglect to investigate or report on Gemma’s story, and many others like it. The most generous excuse our team can offer is that you simply haven't taken the time to look. The FreeNZ team encourage you to do so, and not without a sense of distaste for the need to remind you of your professional responsibilities. Gemma could have been your daughter, sister, or wife. Regardless, given that you are now fully aware of Gemma's appalling situation, we hope the basic human virtues of empathy and compassion will be sufficient motivating factors for your further investigation. Any additional information requests you may have regarding Gemma's situation will be welcomed by the FreeNZ team.
Nick Monks
Here’s Nicks most recent piece.
On the 18th of January 2022, a Candlelight Vigil was held in Auckland for Kiwi kids, on the eve of the 5-11-year-old rollout. Anna Hodgkinson, Casey Hodgkinson's mum, spoke.
Nick went along to capture the peaceful gathering, as well as an interview with Anna, on the eve of what will go down in history as a sombre occasion for New Zealand and its people.
I hope the Newsletter gets a lot of traction
Kia ora Nick, I did address some of those censorship issues directly to the head of Ak Lib as a mandated staff member. No answer.
Jeanne Cl.