My good friend Brian Edwards is one of the best media trainers there is. He’s made an observation about Jacinda Ardern that will probably earn dear old Brian a good scolding from Helen Clark for daring to utter the truth about the new Dear Leader of New Zealanzuela.
TIME FOR JACINDA TO STOP BEAMING
I’m an admirer of Jacinda Ardern. She’s both canny and smart. So I hope she won’t mind a bit of free advice from this geriatric media guru. For god’s sake woman stop beaming every time you answer a question from a member of the fourth estate. You may think you’re just being nice or friendly. But the effect is quite different. What you’re actually doing is being condescending, talking down to the questioner, treating him or her as if they had limited understanding of what you’re saying or the point you’re trying to make. You talk to journalists as if they were 10-year-olds. Your tone borders on the sickly sweet and, whether you know it or not, that isn’t how journalists want to be treated. And, rightly or wrongly, it looks fake.
He’s not wrong.
Of course, he’s been slammed in the comments by sycophants of Ardern. But nothing he said is wrong. In fact, if you’ve watched every excruciating minute of her lazy diction, sloganeering and poor elocution, interspersed with her fake concern face and baby-speak you’ll know Brian Edwards is spot on.
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