After subscribing to newspapers for about 33 years I stopped reading it from this year. The reason that the news has hit its nadir. From information to sensationalism to entertainment to superfluous. I have seen all. Enough. Read on:

The protest was lodged after Henry made comments about the pronunciation of Delhi Chief MinisterSheila Dikshit’s name, the Dominion Post newspaper reported. The correct pronunciation is ‘DIKS-it’. Angry over the racist remarks against Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on New Zealand’s prime news channel, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna is learnt to have asked South Block to summon its High Commissioner, Rupert Holborow, as New Delhi issued a “strong” demarche, demanding “demonstrative action” against the TV anchor. (source New Zealand envoy expresses ‘regret’ as India objects to Sheila slur.

Controversial Henry do not seek news but creates it with superfluous:

In March 2009, Henry caused offence by pointing out the facial hair of female guest anti-nuclear campaigner and Greenpeace worker Stephanie Mills.^[4] TVNZ received a “handful” of complaints to which Henry was unrepentant stating “I certainly have no intention of apologising to people who have written in and complained. The key thing to me is what a fortunate life they must have that they can afford time and energy to complain about such an insignificant thing.”

In August 2009, Henry referred to homosexuals as “unnatural” causing a complaint to be laid with the Broadcasting Standards Authority.^[5] In February 2010 the BSA declined to uphold the complaint.

In November 2009, Henry sparked controversy over comments he made about singer Susan Boyle and his on-air use of the term ‘retarded’ to describe her. His comments led to almost two hundred complaints to the Broadcasting Standards Authority, which regulates broadcast radio and television content within New Zealand.^[6]

In October 2010, Henry was again the subject of complaints, after questioning whether the Governor-General, Sir Anand Satyanand, was “even a New Zealander”. He went on to ask “Are you going to choose a New Zealander who looks and sounds like a New Zealander this time … are we going to go for someone who is more like a New Zealander this time?”^[7][8] Sir Anand, who is of Indian descent, was born and raised in Auckland. Henry attracted criticism from public figures including Prime Minister John Key, whom Henry was interviewing when he made the remarks, Labour’s leader Phil Goff and New Zealand’s race relations commissioner Joris de Bres. Henry later issued a statement of apology for his comments.^[7][9] After initially expressing its support for Henry, TVNZ announced the following day that it had suspended the presenter for two weeks without pay.^[10]

Following the decision to suspend Henry, it also emerged that TVNZ had continued to promote a recent clip in which Henry referred to New Delhi‘s chief minister Sheila Dikshit as “the dip shit woman” and “Dick Shit“, going on to state that “it’s so appropriate, because she’s Indian, so she’d be dick-in-shit wouldn’t she, do you know what I mean? Walking along the street… it’s just so funny.”^[11] New Zealand Indian Central Association president Paul Singh Bains said the fact that TVNZ was still promoting the clip on its website showed it had “totally lost the plot” and was insensitive to the offence Henry had caused.^[12] Following at least four complaints against this video, TVNZ channel removed it from the ‘Video extras” section of their website. (source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Henry_(broadcaster))

Standard or journalism is falling to pathetic levels. May God help us in surviving it.