The programme's presenters, Duncan Garner and Heather du Plessis-Allan admitted that Kim, a Whanganui alumna, has a "massive bias" against our city. Why, then, was Vinnell given the assignment in the first place?
Despite or perhaps because of that bias, Vinnell is allowed to disparage us, beginning with a view of Castlecliff Beach on a grey winter day with "not famous for its sunbathing", empty stores on lower Victoria Ave with "not famous for its bustling economy", and then, with a paper full of fish and chips, Kim lurches out of the clearly identified George's Fisheries with the exclamation, "not known for its fine dining".
At the outset, the presenters played havoc with fact by repeating uncritically the self-serving rationale of our government-run national airline for ending its Auckland-to-Whanganui service.
Du Plessis-Allan said that Air New Zealand cancelled its service "because the route was not economically viable".
That's clearly debatable inasmuch as Air Chathams, a fully private carrier, did not undertake the route in the hope of losing money.
But du Plessis interjects her own interpretation of Air NZ's spin: "That's code for no one wants to go there."
Real journalists, unlike the tabloid ones, might have decoded Air NZ's message more accurately.
First the Government removes agencies from Whanganui -- NZTA, then DOC, then court bailiffs -- then is slowly removing UCOL. These removals by Government have knock-on effects on both population and travel needs, and the connected dots lead directly to our own government airline declining to serve our city in order to make for a more attractive bottom line.
It's the real people who were hurt in that patronising report that concern me. When Ms Vinnell ran out of a local fish store and restaurant yelling "not known for its fine dining", the camera showed clearly that the venue she exited was George's Fisheries, run by the Robinson family -- Greg, Evonne and Jacob.
Yes, what Kim said was technically true if we're talking about awarding Michelin stars. But if you're talking about one of New Zealand's iconic takeout food items, you ought to take time before judging hastily.
The hard work of the Robinson family of George's Fisheries and the effort they make to provide the freshest fish and best ingredients ought not to be dismissed in the service of cheap sensationalism. Had Ms Vinnell taken a moment to inquire of locals or to read the award certificates on the walls or actually tasted the food she displayed, she might have realised this is one of the best seafood shops in the country.
TV3 has an apology to make, both to all our citizens and in particular to the Robinsons, whose reputations they've tarnished before a national audience. As recompense, I'm asking TV3 to send letters of apology/clarification to the 127,000 audience affected by their falsification. I'm appealing first to the better angels of their nature before taking further action.
As to Kim Vinnell, my advice to her for her wanton trashing of our reputation and that of the Robinson family is to get over the hurt she possibly suffered here in high school. Demeaning other people doesn't heal personal wounds. Living well is the best revenge. It's what we do here.
�Jay Kuten is an American-trained forensic psychiatrist who immigrated to New Zealand for the fly fishing. He spent 40 years comforting the afflicted and intends to spend the rest afflicting the comfortable.
