http://www.janetwilson.co.nz/2009/10/rantings-ravings-musings/ Janet provides media training and media strategies, crisis communications management and ongoing media advice Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:28:34 +1200 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.1 hourly 1 http://www.janetwilson.co.nz/2009/10/rantings-ravings-musings/comment-page-1/#comment-157 deborah coddington Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:59:15 +0000 http://www.janetwilson.co.nz/?p=254#comment-157 Hi Janet, You're so right about defamation, it drives me nuts, and there are many reasons. One is that many of the counsel employed by media companies have never run a defamation case in court and have neither the cojones nor the knowledge to understand the basics of how a case stacks up before either judge or jury. Another reason, put so eloquently by Sir Geoffrey Palmer, is that defamation has now just become another business contingency, not a publishing principle. Can we afford this financially? That is the question media companies ask. Not - shouldn't we take a stand on this? I've had stories, and comments canned and canned and canned because I "might" have damaged the reputation of someone who has no reputation to protect, with something that I have backed up with facts to prove is true (and I have very good, free, access to legal counsel who HAS run defamation cases). How many heads of news and current affairs these days have any idea about getting out there and getting a story? Leaving the car door open and the engine running in case you have to make a quick getaway? And on that Bill English ad - it just puts me off watching whatever it is we're supposed to be urged to watch. A more classic case of bad advertising I've yet to see! Who the hell signed off on this? A bunch of suits in a room: "We need to promote a series on the economy, get people to watch it, it's pretty dull, so how can we make it exciting? I know, let's get Bill English talking to camera! Brilliant! What a great idea! Yeah, that'll get them tuning in! Pick up your books and go to the front of the class!" Hi Janet, You’re so right about defamation, it drives me nuts, and there are many reasons. One is that many of the counsel employed by media companies have never run a defamation case in court and have neither the cojones nor the knowledge to understand the basics of how a case stacks up before either judge or jury. Another reason, put so eloquently by Sir Geoffrey Palmer, is that defamation has now just become another business contingency, not a publishing principle. Can we afford this financially? That is the question media companies ask. Not – shouldn’t we take a stand on this? I’ve had stories, and comments canned and canned and canned because I “might” have damaged the reputation of someone who has no reputation to protect, with something that I have backed up with facts to prove is true (and I have very good, free, access to legal counsel who HAS run defamation cases). How many heads of news and current affairs these days have any idea about getting out there and getting a story? Leaving the car door open and the engine running in case you have to make a quick getaway?
And on that Bill English ad – it just puts me off watching whatever it is we’re supposed to be urged to watch. A more classic case of bad advertising I’ve yet to see! Who the hell signed off on this? A bunch of suits in a room: “We need to promote a series on the economy, get people to watch it, it’s pretty dull, so how can we make it exciting? I know, let’s get Bill English talking to camera! Brilliant! What a great idea! Yeah, that’ll get them tuning in! Pick up your books and go to the front of the class!”

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