Journalist David Farrier has called out the media for focusing on Destiny Church and its anti-lockdown antics, while letting “white megachurches” off the hook.
In his newsletter Webworm, he writes about the racial bias in the reporting of lockdown rule breakers.
Brian Tamaki and Peter Mortlock Photo: Screenshot/RNZ
Listen to the full interview here
Farrier tells Jesse Mulligan that Brian Tamaki often grabs the attention of media because he's very direct and public with his views and has a certain image.
"What's frustrating is that you look at these other churches that are predominantly led by white men with a white congregation, and they're saying things just as outrageous, if not more outrageous than the Destiny Church.
"They're just being ignored because they're 'boring' and it doesn't seem as literally as colourful as the media wants them to be."
For example, although Destiny Church is on a smaller scale than City Impact, Farrier says they have the same antics, but no-one pays attention to them.
"The day before the protest in the Domain in Auckland, [pastor Peter Mortlock] was encouraging his flock to go there, but he was couching it in language that wasn't as direct.
"He's been doing this for a really long time, and he's been preaching anti-vax messages to his congregation for some time as well."
Yesterday, the church on its website said it "takes no official nor ethical stance on the use of vaccines".
Mortlock also said he was simply listening to the various opinions and has been labelled anti-vax as a result "despite saying numerous times that my discussion was neither for- nor against- vaccinations, but rather for personal freedom of choice".
At the same time, in one of his sermons he plays clip from Fox News, and says: "I don't believe in the government right now, I don't believe the media right now, and I'm sorry but I don't believe or trust Big Pharma either! Why is that? Well, if I mention the name Bill Gates or George Soros or Anthony Fauci - and it's not about conspiracy, it's just about plain facts, right?"
For media, Farrier says portraying Māori and Pasifika people as the targets of misinformation suited the narrative better than say putting white affluent people in that story.
"I think systemic racism plays into it. But I don't think newsrooms are going out actively to be racist.
"Brian Tamaki gives really good pictures - he's dressed in leather like someone from the village people, he's riding a Harley, he has slicked back hair ... He looks great for TV and he's out in the public doing the stuff.
"Whereas something like City Impact, it's behind the scenes, they're doing their sermons and encouraging people in certain directions but they're not giving the sound bites and pictures that something like Destiny Church gives.
"That's why they [Destiny Church] seem like a much bigger problem than they actually are, while a lot of these white mega churches are being ignored and left to go about doing exactly the same business that Brian Tamaki is doing."'
Farrier says there are countless Christians and churches doing good work and not spreading that misinformation.
"It's a rarity but unfortunately these mega churches make up for it in size and influence."