OPINION
Maiki Sherman’s chat with the Herald Media Insider was a revelation in itself, although
as I work through my critique of her comments, maybe not. In an article which took about a third of a page in column inches Maiki was able to highlight, unintentionally no doubt, everything that is wrong with journalism today. It is very obvious, at least from Maiki’s perspective, that journalism is not just about presenting the facts but also the ‘flair’ that evidently it is important to exude while doing so.
Call me old fashioned but what flair has to do with presenting the cold hard facts of a news item I’m not sure. What it does tell me is that Maiki might need to develop a better understanding of who the people she’s managing to irritate with her so-called flair are. The demographic she is talking to are not that interested in flair, they’ve tuned in to get the facts. They want to see the news presented in a fair and factual manner. Maybe I could give Maiki a bit of advice. Here goes.
News, and the dispensing of such, is not akin to an entertainment programme. I am wondering if Maiki might be a little intoxicated with the programme TV One broadcasts immediately prior to the news, The Chase. That is the type of programme that requires flair and I have to say the presenter, Bradley Walsh, has it in spades. News presentation demands a more measured style of delivery, not one such that viewers might think you’re trying to hide the fact you’ve just won the Powerball.
The first thing Maiki said to Media Insider is that she’s surprised at the level of criticism of her coverage of the 1News Verian poll. That comment alone tells you all you need to know. I could end my article here! How did she think for one moment that her verbal and body theatrics would pass muster with viewers? It’s almost beyond belief that she thought she could get away with it. What is beyond belief is that TVNZ management has, according to Maiki, given their full support to her masquerading as a journalist looking to be respected in her profession.
You will be heartened to know, dear readers, that Maiki is listening to the feedback and is prepared to tweak her presentation style. Tweak? She needs to go back to square one or preferably journalism school although I’m suspicious of what is taught there these days. I think those institutions could well be part of the problem. Maki has said that she does not want to “lose my own flair and what I bring to this role”. I am not sure exactly what that statement is supposed to mean but one thing she needn’t bother to bring is her bias. If she can’t see it we the viewers most certainly can.
Of more than 14,000 respondents to a NZ Herald poll 85 per cent found her coverage over the top. For a start, turning a news item into a mini-documentary, even if it does light her fire, is not what the viewers want nor expect. Words and phrases like turbulence ahead – buckle up, brace for impact’ are completely ridiculous. She was reporting on a political poll, not the possibility of an aviation disaster. Describing it as a “nightmare” poll for the coalition she said it would “absolutely rock the entire Parliament”. That type of verbosity alone is worth a DCM.
There was a 4.4 earthquake felt in Wellington last week and I think that would have had a better chance of doing damage to the Parliament than her questionable poll.“It’s been a big and interesting week” she told the Media Insider. She was unable to engage with all of the feedback because of a hectic workload. It would appear she’s also given her employer a hectic workload as they now have around fifty formal complaints to investigate. Sherman says she always listens to her viewers. I say poppycock to that.
“Because I care so deeply about doing a good job and taking the entire audience along with me and securing their trust, I am always open to feedback”. Poppycock again. I doubt it and even if it was the case she’s already admitted her hectic workload prevents her from engaging with it. The feedback, she says, has been at a new level. “It’s been interesting for me, to be honest, to experience this. And I guess it’ll be something I’ll need to figure out how to manage going forward”.
If her previous comment was sincere that she wanted to take the entire audience along with her she needn’t have to worry about managing future criticism. I’m picking we’ll be lucky to get even a tweak in her presentation as her bias has been apparent from the very first night she loomed large in our living rooms. “This has always been the style that I’ve had in my journalism. I’ve worked for Newshub before so I know that style”. Don’t we all and she’s just admitted the left-wing bias is on both channels. As we know it’s everywhere in the media. Media Insider take note.
“I worked under Patrick Gower (that must have been an unpleasant experience, one almost feels sorry for the lady) then I’ve worked under Jessica Mutch McKay who was the consummate professional and very slick, so I’m hoping I can take what I learned from both those political editors and mould it into a style that I can deliver for our audience”. Allow me to state the obvious. She has already delivered that style and as a result, copped all that bad feedback.
Bearing in mind that ‘a leopard doesn’t change its spots’ I guess she will just keep on digging the hole she is in and therefore, as she says, “need to figure out how to manage it going forward”. The whole dialogue with the Media Insider was all about her and not the viewers, the people her employer (i.e TVNZ which effectively means the government and therefore we the taxpayers) needs in big numbers to stem their losses. It might not have occurred to Maiki but there is another saying which is ‘don’t bite the hand that feeds you’. I’m not sure that has registered at management level either.
It’s a saying that applies to all TV One journalists. Effectively, we as taxpayers are their paymasters and the least we can expect in return is an hour of balanced news reporting. I don’t think that’s too much to ask. In fact we are both their employer and their customer which brings to mind another saying which is that ‘the customer is always right’. So with that in mind, rather than a possible condescending little tweak, how about they take a closer look at just how unprofessional and biased they really are and try an approach that might be closer to what the viewers want?
While not holding my breath ‘hope springs eternal’ as another saying goes. Hmmm.