The right-wing blog Whaleoil has closed in the wake of its parent company going bust, defamation cases and its controversial founder Cameon Slater suffering a stroke.
Cameron Slater outside the Court of Appeal in 2015. Photo: RNZ / Michael Cropp
The blog's owner, Social Media Consultants Ltd, went into liquidation earlier this year owing more than half a million dollars.
In its final post this morning, the website alleges "shadowy forces conspired to take it down and a hacker was paid to hack it".
It’s the End of an Era…and the start of a new one https://t.co/7LaIWmMskR pic.twitter.com/VBoOxtlA7k
— Whaleoil Media (@Whaleoil) July 31, 2019
Whaleoil has been running for 15 years. It was the subject of the 2014 book Dirty Politics by the investigative journalist Nicky Hager, which detailed its close links with some National MPs in running smear campaigns against political opponents.
The post directs readers and subscribers to a new website, which it says will continue to feature the news mainstream media refuse to cover.
Whaleoil is closing after 15 years of commentary on New Zealand politics. Photo: Supplied
