''Counterspin Media'' is a

far-right Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...

anti-vaccine Vaccine hesitancy is a delay in acceptance, or refusal, of vaccines despite the availability of vaccine services and supporting evidence. The term covers refusals to vaccinate, delaying vaccines, accepting vaccines but remaining uncertain abou ...

, and

conspiracy theorist A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources: * * * * The term has a nega ...

New Zealand online media platform that was founded in May 2021. ''Counterspin Media'' has opposed the New Zealand Government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic including COVID-19 vaccination policies. In early 2022, the group played a leading role in the 2022 Wellington protest.

Newsroom A newsroom is the central place where journalists—reporters, editors, and producers, associate producers, news anchors, news designers, photojournalists, videojournalists, associate editor, residence editor, visual text editor, Desk Head, s ...

journalist Marc Daalder has described ''Counterspin Media'' as "one of the largest platforms for conspiracy theories and far-right ideology in New Zealand", while

Stuff Stuff, stuffed, and stuffing may refer to: *Physical matter *General, unspecific things, or entities Arts, media, and entertainment Books *''Stuff'' (1997), a novel by Joseph Connolly (author), Joseph Connolly *''Stuff'' (2005), a book by Jere ...

journalist Charlie Mitchell has described it as New Zealand's equivalent of the US website ''

InfoWars ''InfoWars'' is an American far-right conspiracy theory and fake news website owned by Alex Jones. It was founded in 1999, and operates under Free Speech Systems LLC. Talk shows and other content for the site are created primarily in studi ...

''. In August 2022, ''Counterspin Media's'' founders, Kelvyn Alp and Hannah Alp, were arrested and charged by the

New Zealand Police The New Zealand Police ( mi, Ngā Pirihimana o Aotearoa) is the national police service and principal law enforcement agency of New Zealand, responsible for preventing crime, enhancing public safety, bringing offenders to justice, and maintai ...

for allegedly distributing objectionable material, shortly after Alp was banned from

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

for encouraging violence. They were subsequently arraigned and brought to Christchurch Central Court, during which supporters gathered outside and Alp and Spierer refused to appear in the dock. They appeared at court again that December with no visible supporters outside.

Content and coverage

''Counterspin Media'' has described itself as an "apolitical platform" promoting individual rights and freedoms. They oppose so-called globalist influences and agendas. The platform also supports the

New Federal State of China The New Federal State of China (NFSC) is a political movement or lobby group created by Guo Wengui and Steve Bannon, with the stated aim of overthrowing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as the Chinese government. Launched on June 4, 2020, ...

. ''Counterspin'' claims to focus on stories that the

mainstream Mainstream may refer to: Film * ''Mainstream'' (film), a 2020 American film Literature * ''Mainstream'' (fanzine), a science fiction fanzine * Mainstream Publishing, a Scottish publisher * ''Mainstream'', a 1943 book by Hamilton Basso Mu ...

have allegedly ignored, fabricated, and misrepresented. It is listed on the

New Zealand Companies Office The New Zealand Companies Office (a service of the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment) is a government agency that provides business registry services in relation to corporate entities, personal property and capital marke ...

's website as an Internet publishing and broadcasting company based in Auckland's

Favona Favona is a mostly industry-dominated suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, and is part of the Māngere area. The suburb is in the Manukau ward, one of the thirteen administrative divisions of Auckland city, and is under governance of the Auckland Co ...

suburb. ''Counterspin''s hosts have included founder

Kelvyn Alp Kelvyn Glen Alp (born 27 March 1971) is a New Zealand far-right politician and activist. During the 1990s, Alp established a paramilitary organisation called the New Zealand Armed Intervention Force. During the 2020s, Alp founded a far-right med ...

, a

activist who advocated armed resistance against the New Zealand Government during the 2000s, and former

Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...

activist

Hannah Spierer Hannah or Hanna may refer to: People, biblical figures, and fictional characters * Hannah (name), a female given name of Hebrew origin * Hanna (Arabic name), a family and a male given name of Christian Arab origin * Hanna (Irish surname), a fa ...

. The two hosted the platform's twice weekly streams. Notable guests have included the New Zealand Doctors Speak Out With Science (NZDSOS), former

TVNZ , type = Crown entity , industry = Broadcast television , num_locations = New Zealand , location = Auckland, New Zealand , area_served = Nationally (New Zealand) and some Pacific Island nations such as the Cook Islands, Fiji, and the So ...

broadcaster

Liz Gunn Elizabeth Jane Cooney, commonly known as Liz Gunn (born ), is an anti-vaccination activist and a former television presenter from New Zealand. Broadcasting career Gunn was a litigation lawyer before beginning her TV career on the TVNZ show '' Su ...

, and lawyer Sue Grey. While ''Counterspin Media'' has been banned from most mainstream social media platforms, it maintains a strong following on its blog and on apps popular with conspiracy theorists. According to

journalist Glenn McConnell, ''Counterspin'' is one of the most influential alternative media outlets. Their content has disputed the existence of the

SARS-CoV-2 Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) is a strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), the respiratory illness responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The virus previously had a ...

virus, accused the Government of controlling the mainstream media, and opposed

COVID-19 vaccines A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19). Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, an est ...

on the grounds of alleged genocide and adverse reactions.

History

''Counterspin Media'' was established by far-right activist Kelvyn Alp as an Internet publishing and broadcasting company in May 2021. During its launch, the platform was hosted by

GTV Media Group GTV Media Group, Inc. is a media company formed in April 2020 by Steve Bannon and Guo Wengui. The company operates GTV, a Chinese media platform. Background Prior to forming GTV, Steve Bannon served as an executive of Breitbart News and an ad ...

, an online television channel founded by former

Counselor to the President Counselor or counsellor may refer to: A professional In diplomacy and government * Counsellor of State, senior member of the British royal family to whom the Monarch can delegate some functions in case of unavailability * Counselor (dipl ...

Steve Bannon Stephen Kevin Bannon (born November 27, 1953) is an American media executive, political strategist, and former investment banker. He served as the White House's chief strategist in the administration of U.S. president Donald Trump during t ...

COVID-19 pandemic and Wellington protest

In September 2021, ''Counterspin Media'' promoted the activities of the Agricultural Action Group (AAG), which is led by former

Advance New Zealand The Advance New Zealand Party (abbreviated as Advance NZ or Advance) was a short-lived political party in New Zealand from 2020 to 2021. The idea was first unveiled in a newsletter from founder Jami-Lee Ross in April 2020. Ross has claimed th ...

candidates Robert Wilson, Fred Roberts and Heather Meri Pennycook. The AAG has advocated

climate change denial Climate change denial, or global warming denial, is denial, dismissal, or doubt that contradicts the scientific consensus on climate change, including the extent to which it is caused by humans, its effects on nature and human society, or th ...

and conspiracy theories relating to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, vaccination, and the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

Agenda 21 Agenda 21 is a non-binding action plan of the United Nations with regard to sustainable development. It is a product of the Earth Summit (UN Conference on Environment and Development) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. It is an action age ...

. In early November 2021, ''Counterspin Media'' correspondent Shane Chafin disrupted a press conference by

New Zealand Prime Minister The prime minister of New Zealand ( mi, Te pirimia o Aotearoa) is the head of government of New Zealand. The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, leader of the New Zealand Labour Party, took office on 26 October 2017. The prime minister (informa ...

Jacinda Ardern Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern ( ; born 26 July 1980) is a New Zealand politician who has been serving as the 40th prime minister of New Zealand and leader of the Labour Party since 2017. A member of the Labour Party, she has been the member of ...

in the

Northland Region The Northland Region ( mi, Te Tai Tokerau) is the northernmost of New Zealand's 16 local government regions. New Zealanders sometimes refer to it as the Winterless North because of its mild climate all throughout the year. The main population ...

, questioning the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and accusing Ardern of lying to the public about the death of a vaccinated individual. In response, Ardern suspended the press conference. ''Counterspin'' also participated in a large anti-vaccine mandate protest and occupation outside the

New Zealand Parliament The New Zealand Parliament ( mi, Pāremata Aotearoa) is the unicameral legislature of New Zealand, consisting of the King of New Zealand ( King-in-Parliament) and the New Zealand House of Representatives. The King is usually represented by h ...

in February and early March 2022. While other protest groups including

Brian Tamaki Brian Raymond Tamaki (born 2 February 1958), is a New Zealand fundamentalist Christian religious leader and far-right political activist. A Tainui man from the Ngati Ngawaero and Ngati Maniapoto tribes, he is the leader of Destiny Church, a ...

's The Freedoms & Rights Coalition (TFRC) wanted to focus on the repeal of vaccine mandates, COVID-19-related legislation and the reinstatement of anti-vaccination doctors, ''Counterspin'' viewed the protest as the start of war and called for the arrest of politicians advocating

COVID-19 vaccination A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19). Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, an es ...

. Following a power struggle, ''Counterspin'' took control of the anti-vaccine occupation from the TFRC. Adopting a more confrontational stance, they urged protesters to resist Police attempts to evict them in early February 2022 and advocated storming Parliament to arrest MPs. ''Counterspin Media'' also used their platform to broadcast live-footage of the protest for 12 hours and shared their content through their

Telegram Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...

account. On 15 August 2022, Counterspin Media hosts Alp and Spierer featured in

's ''Circuit'' documentary ''Fire and Fury'', which examined various anti-vaccination and far right figures and groups involved in the 2022 Wellington protest. The documentary's producers including journalist

Paula Penfold Paula Penfold is a New Zealand investigative journalist. She is best-known for her investigation into the wrongful conviction of Auckland man Teina Pora for murder and rape. Career Penfold began her career in radio, working for Radio New Zealan ...

did not interview Alp and Spierer but instead used their videos, social media posts, and media coverage relating to their activities. In response, broadcaster

Sean Plunket Oliver Sean Plunket (known professionally as Sean Plunket) is a New Zealand broadcast journalist. Plunket has worked for several New Zealand broadcast media companies and stations including Radio Windy, Independent Radio News, Radio New Zealand, ...

hosted Alp on his online radio station ''The Platform'' to share his side of the story in response to the documentary.

Let's Not Forget campaign

In early June 2022, ''Counterspin'' organised a national tour called "Let's Not Forget" which toured at least 21 towns and cities including

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

. During the tour, the group hosted talks promoting COVID-19 conspiracy theories, the

Great Replacement The Great Replacement (french: links=no, Grand Remplacement), also known as replacement theory or great replacement theory, is a White nationalism, white nationalist Far-right politics, far-right conspiracy theoryPT71 disseminated by French a ...

, and the "common law" movement. The

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...

's student magazine ''

Critic Te Ārohi ''Critic Te Ārohi'' is the official magazine of the Otago University Students' Association (OUSA) of the University of Otago. It is freely available around both the university's campus and selected sites in Dunedin city weekly during term time ...

'' reported that two Dunedin venues including the

South Dunedin South Dunedin is a major inner city suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is located, as its name suggests, to the south of the city centre, on part of a large plain known locally simply as "The Flat". The suburb is a mix of industrial ...

Community Hall and

First Church of Otago First Church is a prominent church in the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is located in the heart of the city on Moray Place, Dunedin, Moray Place, 100 metres to the south of the city centre. The church is the city's primary Presbyterian church. ...

had declined the use of their premises to Counterspin speakers. Counterspin subsequently hosted at

Henley Henley may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Henley, Dorset, a location * Henley, Gloucestershire, a location * Henley-on-Thames, a town in South Oxfordshire, England ** Henley (UK Parliament constituency) ** Henley Rural District, a former ru ...

Community Centre, which lay 32 km outside of South Dunedin.

2022 local body elections

In June 2022, ''Counterspin Media'' filmed an event in

Bluff Bluff or The Bluff may refer to: Places Australia * Bluff, Queensland, Australia, a town * The Bluff, Queensland (Ipswich), a rural locality in the city of Ipswich * The Bluff, Queensland (Toowoomba Region), a rural locality * Bluff River (New So ...

featuring Voices for Freedom activists Jaspreet Boparai and Gill Booth, who ran as candidates for the

Southland District Council Southland District Council is the territorial authority for the Southland District of New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Islan ...

and the Teviot Valley Community Board during the

2022 New Zealand local elections The 2022 New Zealand local elections were triennial elections held in New Zealand on Saturday 8 October 2022. Voting began by postal vote on 16 September and ended at noon on 8 October 2022. Election schedule Key dates relating to the general ...

Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull's New Zealand tour

Members of ''Counterspin Media'' attended controversial

anti-transgender Transphobia is a collection of ideas and phenomena that encompass a range of negative attitudes, feelings, or actions towards transgender people or transness in general. Transphobia can include fear, aversion, hatred, violence or anger tow ...

activist

Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, also known as Kellie-Jay Keen and Posie Parker, is a British anti-Legal status of transgender people, transgender rights activist and founder of the group Standing for Women. She describes herself as a Women's rights ...

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

speaking event on 25 March 2023, which was disrupted by rainbow counter-demonstrators. Following the Auckland event, Spierer confronted

co-leader

Marama Davidson Marama Mere-Ana Davidson (née Paratene; born 1973) is a New Zealand politician who entered the New Zealand Parliament in 2015 as a representative of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, of which she is the female co-leader. In October 20 ...

, who had attended the event to support counter-demonstrators. During the altercation, Davidson stated that "I am a prevention violence minister, and I know who causes violence in the world. It is white cis men, that is white cis men who cause violence in the world". Davidson's remarks attracted significant domestic media attention as well as criticism from

ACT Party ACT New Zealand, known simply as ACT (), is a Right-wing politics, right-wing, Classical liberalism, classical-liberal List of political parties in New Zealand, political party in New Zealand. According to former party leader Rodney Hide, ACT's ...

leader

David Seymour David Seymour may refer to: * David Seymour (English politician) (died 1557/58), 14th-century Member of Parliament (MP) for Wareham and Great Bedwyn *David Seymour (New Zealand politician) (born 1983), leader of the ACT Party *David Seymour (photo ...

, National Party leader

Christopher Luxon Christopher Mark Luxon (born 19 July 1970) is a New Zealand politician and former business executive who is currently serving as leader of the New Zealand National Party and the Leader of the Opposition. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP ...

, and

New Zealand First New Zealand First ( mi, Aotearoa Tuatahi), commonly abbreviated to NZ First, is a nationalist and populist political party in New Zealand. The party formed in July 1993 following the resignation on 19 March 1993 of its leader and founder, Winst ...

leader

Winston Peters Winston Raymond Peters (born 11 April 1945) is a New Zealand politician serving as the leader of New Zealand First since its foundation in 1993. Peters served as the 13th deputy prime minister of New Zealand from 1996 to 1998 and 2017 to 2020 ...

. Davidson had made the comment after she had been hit by a passing motorcyclist who was part of a support group from Pastor

's Destiny Church.

Legal problems

In late August 2022, ''Counterspin'' founder Alp and co-host Spierer were arrested in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

on charges of distributing an objectionable publication, and for failing to allow Police to search their computer. The pair had allegedly distributed footage of the 2019

Christchurch mosque shootings On 15 March 2019, two consecutive mass shootings occurred in a terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. The attacks, carried out by a lone gunman who entered both mosques during Friday prayer, began at the Al Noor Mosque ...

. Alp and Spierer were subsequently bailed and ordered to appear at the Christchurch District Court on 30 August. During the hearing on 31 August, the pair refused to enter the dock and instead read prepared statements from the lawyer's bench. After ignoring Judge Large's repeated instructions to stand in the dock, Alp and Spierer were forcibly removed by security personnel and remanded on bail for three weeks. 60 protesters supporting Counterspin Media and a smaller group of counter-demonstrators demonstrated outside the Christchurch District Court. The pair subsequently reappeared at the Christchurch District Court in December 2022.

Notes and references

External links

* {{COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand 2021 establishments in New Zealand Climate change denial Conspiracist media Far-right politics in New Zealand Internet properties established in 2021 Mass media companies of New Zealand New Zealand news websites New Zealand political websites Websites with far-right material