For that reason (and the fact I come from a high socio-economic background) I am privileged. Barring pre-marriage equality days, I've had nothing but access to opportunity throughout my life, and that technically puts me in the same box as Guyon Espiner, Duncan Garner, John Campbell, Paul Henry, Larry Williams, and Mike Hosking.
If we look at the European media landscape, we move far away from privileged personalities. In fact, if you turn on BBC News right now you probably won't find a straight white male anchor on your screen. The faces reporting for the big news outlets in the UK are just as likely to be female as they are male; just as likely to have dark skin as fair.
Does that mean the straight white males on the BBC lack the ability to report world news? Does it mean such men cannot understand or comprehend struggles pertaining to ethnicity, sexuality, and gender?
In the case of the BBC, most will argue no. BBC News exists with limited bias, and each journalist working for it reports on issues in the same way any of his or her colleagues would.
I mentioned earlier that I write regularly about LGBT issues for a mainstream audience. My goal here is to highlight my community from the inside out by using my privileged position for the greater good. However, there's no lack of coverage about LGBT issues in New Zealand, and most of it comes from straight journalists. This is highlighting those same issues, except from the outside in.
This is possible because of one thing; the same thing that enables a straight white male BBC reporter to present the news equally as a lesbian Indian female reporter would. Empathy.
Simply because you're not part of a minority group, doesn't mean you can't empathise with it. Case in point from the LGBT community's perspective: the recently-retired Jon Stewart. In 16 years on the air, he proved to be one of the greatest straight allies we've ever had. He argued for LGBT causes better than most of us ever could.
While straight white males can have empathy for minorities, however, Smalley is right. We need more diversity in New Zealand media because, unfortunately, my BBC News and Jon Stewart examples are more idealistic dreams than actual realities down here in New Zealand.
When in New York last month, I sub-letted an apartment from an elderly Jewish woman (that's three minorities right there, in case you're counting). I Am Cait, the E! series following transgender celebrity Caitlyn Jenner, had just premiered, and we got to chatting.
"I have to admit," this octogenarian said to me, "I had to ask my daughter what trans was. It took me a while to understand, but then I thought, 'Wow. How awful it must be to be a different person on the outside than you know you are on the inside'".
That was empathy at work right there. This woman understood minority issues from a personal standpoint, and took the time to consider another minority's plight. The result was an empathetic view on a world that wasn't her own.
Such a sentiment is the solution to New Zealand's homogenised media personality problem. We need prime time stars with empathy, and empathy is likely best surmised when something in one's life has given them a minority view on the world.
I don't know enough about the backgrounds of Guyon Espiner, Duncan Garner, John Campbell, Paul Henry, Larry Williams, and Mike Hosking to say whether each has first-hand access to minority problems.
From face value, I'm going to say none have had such access, and thus Smalley's stance remains relevant. We need diversity in New Zealand media, and more females in prime time are a start.
However, we need to go further. New Zealand can do better than switching out straight white men with straight white women. Whether they are gay white men, straight Maori women, bisexual Asian men, or trans Pacific women, we need them all in prime time.
These people are New Zealand. The diversity in empathy they can offer will colour our screens and light up our airwaves, and offer us the truly balanced, quality media landscape we all deserve.
