User:Gameking69/WMB

Wayne Marsden Brittenden  is an New Zealand journalist, author, and film producer. He worked as a political journalist for BBC, a correspondent for Radio New Zealand.

Early life
Brittenden was born to his father Cedric Brittenden (Born c. 1911). His father at 19 years old began managing The Roxy theatre on Princes Street, located in Otago, Dunedin, in 1930. Cerdric would later manage the TET Kings Theatre, a movie theatre in Stratford, New Zealand in the early 1940's.

As a child, he used his bike to ride around Gisborne after school, and he would also change movie posters for theatre his father managed. The discarded posters, would be made into kites or cut into scrap paper by himself.

He would recall an incident where a elderly woman, holding a biblical pamphlet, would discourage people from entering his father's theatre due to the religious belief that the cinemas was the work of the devil.

Pace News Limited
On October 19, 1982, Brittenden incorporated Pace News Limited and assumed the position of director. The company, a New Zealand limited entity headquartered in Saint Heliers, Auckland, is categorized under Internet publishing and broadcasting. As of 2023, the company remains incorporated.

Radio New Zealand
Brittenden worked in various countries for National Radio.

In 1978, he was a correspondent in Tokyo, Japan, and reported on the Japanese reaction to a alleged UFO sighting located in Kaikoura, New Zealand, dubbed the "Kaikoura film footage" and highlighted a local woman who claimed to communicate with UFOs.

In September 1985, he was situated in Copenhagen, where he boarded the USS Iowa to interview the commanding officer about the presence of nuclear weapons on the ship and its compliance with Denmark's prohibition on hosting nuclear-armed vessels.

Starting in December 2001, he continues hosts his own podcast program titled "Counterpoint" for RNZ's Sunday Morning series.

British Broadcasting Corporation
He later became a political journalist with the BBC, making notable contributions to the Sunday Supplement series for The Westminster Hour around the year 2005.

Other publications
Brittenden penned articles for the Dominion Sunday Times, New Zealand Listener, Heritage New Zealand, New Outlook, and The Dominion Post.

Consultancy for Auckland Unitarian Church
In 2001, Brittenden was involved in the "Denominational Involvement Media Project" and the "Social Responsibility and Media Consultancy Project" for the church. His work includes providing "valuable" perspectives from an outsider's viewpoint, influencing the launch style and content of projects like Counterpoint, and contributing to initiatives aimed at promoting Unitarian perspectives in the media.

Specifically, Wayne Brittenden is noted for monitoring relevant media daily on behalf of the church, identifying potential opportunities, and developing guidelines to counter public misconceptions about Unitarianism. He also visits congregations at the local level, suggesting ways to raise their profile. In the Social Responsibility and Media Consultancy Project, Wayne Brittenden collaborates with the Information Officer, offering public relations advice on various matters. The church contributes a success of letters sent to the national broadsheet press on issues such as gay rights and the church's opposition to an expansion of state-funded faith schools. Additionally, Brittenden gave personal interview training to several of the church office holders.

The report summarizes the help: "Wayne has provided useful public relations advice on numerous matters."

Flim
In 2002, Zentropa Entertainments, a Denmark-based film studio, planned a major production about Scandinavian settlers in New Zealand during the 1870s. Brittenden was hired to write the feature film script in English, focusing on the story of settlers abandoned in the wilderness instead of receiving promised farmland. Zentropa envisions a significant production shot predominantly in New Zealand, featuring both local and Scandinavian actors. Brittenden is asking for contributions of anecdotes, diaries, or records related to the settlements in Dannevirke and Norsewood for research.

Around December 2008, Britten left New Zealand for the United Kingdom to run an investigative documentary team in London's West End.

The Political Compass
According to Pamela O'Connell of the New York Times, Brittenden is responsible for The Political Compass website. The website first appeared on December 20, 2000, and is a copyright under Pace News Limited. As reported by marketer Neil Patel's website traffic checker, as of February 4, 2024, the total estimated traffic the website gets (considering the organic keywords) is 420,000+ visitors per month.

Visitors can engage in a political test to determine their ideological stance, receiving a personalized certificate based on their results. The test prompts users to express agreement or disagreement with 61 propositions on social and political subjects, positioning them on a compass. The east-west axis signifies economic tendencies from left to right, while the north-south axis represents social tendencies ranging from authoritarian to libertarian.

The site provides analyses of global political topics, offering counterpoints and speculative content. A reading list is also present to understand various political ideologies.

Specific sections dedicated to countries like New Zealand, Latin America, Italy, Australia, France, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, USA, and Ireland provide insights into political events and elections.

The site also connects to a Buzzsprout podcast titled "The Political Compass", hosted by Brittenden himself to discuss various political issues. Brittenden has invited guests such as Harry Vassallo, Jason Stanley , and Robert Dunham.

Political views
As of 2008, Brittenden is opposed to capital punishment as mentioned by journalist Kim Dungey of the Otago Daily Times.

In December 1986, Wayne Brittenden presented an article titled "Porn Asunder," advocating for a New Zealand perspective on pornography akin to Denmark, where it is legal and generally regarded with indifference.

Personal life
In his review for Scoop Review of Books, Chris Bourke depicts Wayne Brittenden's 2008 book "Celluloid Circus" as a well-informed and anecdotal work reflecting Brittenden's deep connection to the film industry. The review summarizes it as an enthusiastic effort to preserve memories from New Zealand's golden era of cinemas, resulting in a nostalgic endeavor.

Reverend Clay Nelson of the Auckland Unitarian Church claims to be a friend of Britteden.