I'd like to write another comment which isn't strictly pertinent to this article, but you did use a phrase in your preamble which upset me and I don't know where else to offer it. You described Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull as an "anti-trans activist". This is exactly the inaccurate description that the wilfully ignorant and biased mainstream media used, and also which our government ministers of the time used. It's inaccurate because she describes herself, and is known and accepted to most in the "gender critical" camp, as a women's rights campaigner. She campaigns to protect and maintain the women's rights that are being steadily eroded by transgender activism. As those in that movement know, language is powerful, and they have used this term from the start. You can hear the difference in flavour when you compare the two terms - "anti-trans activist" cp "women's rights campaigner". One mean and oppressive, the other embracing a fair goal - or that's how it seems to me.
I feel so strongly about this that I had to let you know. Obviously you may have used the term in a considered way for your own purposes, and I would have to respect that.
Fair comment Sheryl. I guess it depends where you sit on the spectrum of opinion. KJKM is certainly an activist. I accept that I should have been more neutral and used the term "women's rights campaigner".
In my own defence the article on Trotter was written straight on to Substack - normally the first (and later ) drafts are on Word and then copied in to the Substack Platform. Short of time, lots of other stuff to do - not an excuse - nor a reason I acknowledge I could have been more precise. Thanks for raising the issue and it is proper that you should.
I wrote this comment for the previous item and it applies just as well here; it exemplifies the urge of those writers who do want to improve society. Many journalists love prefacing their items with the phrase "What you need to know" followed by a lovely list of bullet points, just in case the reader can't be trusted to grasp the meaning of an article.. I think it really means "This is how I want you see it", and it panders to the click-bait style of news dissemination. Or what some might call, the dumbing-down of news.
"This is how I want you to see it" is very much Simon Wilson and he has a tendency to dismiss his critics with the "shouty" or middle-aged white men. I do hope he tones down a bit. There are so many other things that I want to write about, but Simon does make himself an easy target. Sadly I think his preachy self-righteousness is going to mean more of the same.
Thanks for posting this. It's very good to hear as many people as possible stating these things - helps reduce my frustration levels and feel like I'm in good company.
MSM in NZ appear to refuse to accept the outcome of the 2023 election. They have, through their diligence earned that mistrust. They can bang on all day and night about the crusty old white fellow being resistant to change. That only serves to entrench behaviours to the point that Wilson et al can shout [stridently], "I told you so!"
The middle-aged pakeha tag is really quite easy to parse...seen a bit of life in their prime, have a stake in the system & perhaps confident enough to get shouty when moved to...they have expertise & experience after all...precisely the folks a sound democracy needs & should succour, they pay the taxes mostly if nowt else. Wilson may think it's a perjorative but I don't. Hooray for them!
Trouble is Wilson says he belongs to that cohort - although at 60 I would think he is probably late middle-aged. Obviously belonging to the cohort that so vehemently disagrees with his is inexplicable. Clearly he doesn't understand the phrase vox populi vox dei and thereby misunderstands a fundamental of democracy
& hooray for him, though he seems to think he's a sort of brahmin version & if the Herald keep hiring him then he's definitely in Trotter's 'basket of 'didactics' showing the 'way'...the central point of the plunging 'trust', folks just want to form their own conclusions.
I'd like to write another comment which isn't strictly pertinent to this article, but you did use a phrase in your preamble which upset me and I don't know where else to offer it. You described Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull as an "anti-trans activist". This is exactly the inaccurate description that the wilfully ignorant and biased mainstream media used, and also which our government ministers of the time used. It's inaccurate because she describes herself, and is known and accepted to most in the "gender critical" camp, as a women's rights campaigner. She campaigns to protect and maintain the women's rights that are being steadily eroded by transgender activism. As those in that movement know, language is powerful, and they have used this term from the start. You can hear the difference in flavour when you compare the two terms - "anti-trans activist" cp "women's rights campaigner". One mean and oppressive, the other embracing a fair goal - or that's how it seems to me.
I feel so strongly about this that I had to let you know. Obviously you may have used the term in a considered way for your own purposes, and I would have to respect that.
Fair comment Sheryl. I guess it depends where you sit on the spectrum of opinion. KJKM is certainly an activist. I accept that I should have been more neutral and used the term "women's rights campaigner".
In my own defence the article on Trotter was written straight on to Substack - normally the first (and later ) drafts are on Word and then copied in to the Substack Platform. Short of time, lots of other stuff to do - not an excuse - nor a reason I acknowledge I could have been more precise. Thanks for raising the issue and it is proper that you should.
Women's rights activist would have been all right with me. She is that! Thank you for your consideration of my point of view and your reply.
I wrote this comment for the previous item and it applies just as well here; it exemplifies the urge of those writers who do want to improve society. Many journalists love prefacing their items with the phrase "What you need to know" followed by a lovely list of bullet points, just in case the reader can't be trusted to grasp the meaning of an article.. I think it really means "This is how I want you see it", and it panders to the click-bait style of news dissemination. Or what some might call, the dumbing-down of news.
"This is how I want you to see it" is very much Simon Wilson and he has a tendency to dismiss his critics with the "shouty" or middle-aged white men. I do hope he tones down a bit. There are so many other things that I want to write about, but Simon does make himself an easy target. Sadly I think his preachy self-righteousness is going to mean more of the same.
Thanks for posting this. It's very good to hear as many people as possible stating these things - helps reduce my frustration levels and feel like I'm in good company.
Exactly what I felt Sheryl.
At least there is more than one voice in the wilderness.....
MSM in NZ appear to refuse to accept the outcome of the 2023 election. They have, through their diligence earned that mistrust. They can bang on all day and night about the crusty old white fellow being resistant to change. That only serves to entrench behaviours to the point that Wilson et al can shout [stridently], "I told you so!"
Thanks for this excellent piece.
The middle-aged pakeha tag is really quite easy to parse...seen a bit of life in their prime, have a stake in the system & perhaps confident enough to get shouty when moved to...they have expertise & experience after all...precisely the folks a sound democracy needs & should succour, they pay the taxes mostly if nowt else. Wilson may think it's a perjorative but I don't. Hooray for them!
Trouble is Wilson says he belongs to that cohort - although at 60 I would think he is probably late middle-aged. Obviously belonging to the cohort that so vehemently disagrees with his is inexplicable. Clearly he doesn't understand the phrase vox populi vox dei and thereby misunderstands a fundamental of democracy
& hooray for him, though he seems to think he's a sort of brahmin version & if the Herald keep hiring him then he's definitely in Trotter's 'basket of 'didactics' showing the 'way'...the central point of the plunging 'trust', folks just want to form their own conclusions.
Chris has pointed out a flavour of journalism that we must consider when reading the news and opinion.