Winston Peters: Public biggest loser in trials by media

There's a terrible symmetry about three events this week, which though factually different all shared an alarming element. That is the willingness of so many to rush to judgment while knowing almost nothing of the facts.
In America, Casey Anthony wept on hearing the jury's verdict of "not guilty" of having murdered her 2-year-old daughter, a case that began over three years ago. Had the verdict been otherwise it could have been the death penalty. The jury took less than 11 hours after hearing over six weeks of evidence.
Back in New Zealand Employers' and Manufacturers' Association chief executive Alasdair Thompson was sacked to a cacophony of tweets, online polls and website delirium. On the same day an independent inquiry was set up into a government department female boss facing allegations of verbal abuse and assaults on a junior staffer. These last two events demonstrate how pervasive the American disease of trial by media is becoming in New Zealand. Maybe it is the plethora of American TV channels shown locally, or the lack of substance in American defamation laws or something judgmental emerging in our recent national psyche but whatever, it is cause for grave disquiet.
Lost in the public babble of opinion, debate and argument is that such cases involve real people most of whom have spouses and children to care for and who care for them. All of which a prying, snooping "public interest" sadly seems to miss. A sort of "if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen" mentality ignoring that so often the heat is without substance or light. Another one bites the dust, a temporary public thirst is sated and a way of behaving becomes the norm. However, is anyone, or the character of our society better off?
This column on May 28 outlined concerns arising from the unfolding Dominique Strauss-Kahn scandal. He was the former Chief of the International Monetary Fund, now without a job.
And yet just a month later we all know that he was the victim of a giant frame-up, that the alleged victim lied from the start, and it is she who is now in serious trouble. Her allegations were borne on a raging torrent of media headlines, speculation and condemnation, all now in tatters.
My, how we billions of readers or viewers have been sucked in. Whatever Strauss-Kahn's sins are, this event is not one of them. Intellectually this farce has less to recommend it than the blood sports of the ancient Roman Coliseum.
At least back then the odd gladiator beat the lion. Today no one wins and frequently the public is the biggest loser, which is fair enough for a prurient public happy to be led by the nose.
Casey Anthony's lawyer lashed out at his own profession and the media with these words: "Well, I hope this is a lesson to those of you having indulged in media assassination for three years, bias, prejudice and incompetent talking heads, saying what would be and how to be." Of some of his own he said: "I'm disgusted by some of the lawyers who have done this, and I can tell you that my colleagues from coast to coast and border to border have condemned this whole process of lawyers getting on television and talking about cases they don't know a damn thing about." Hallelujah.
Some facts are indisputable. Many women have not been fairly treated in the workforce. There is often an unjustified pay disparity prejudicial to women. There frequently exist for women extra rungs on the promotional ladder that men don't have to climb. Hopefully, New Zealand is coming to terms with this.
There is no excusing what Alasdair Thompson is reputed to have said or done during a critical media interview. However did we get the full picture? Were we shown all of the TV dialogue and was the later showing of the interview as complete as the actual interview? Was the report fully factual, fair and balanced or was there a cut and paste here? This does not exonerate Thompson for comments he surely deeply regrets. But do they amount to a cardinal sin for which one loses one's career? For readers who have never made a mistake the answer is obviously yes. For those who see Thompson as the obstacle there has been a perceptible glee. This battle is now won, but what of the war?
For strategically an Employers' and Manufacturers' Association still having Thompson as their chief would have seriously weakened the association's future position in negotiations on gender pay equality. The association got rid of Thompson not to weaken their position but to strengthen it. Sometimes it pays to take the longer view.
Which brings us to Building and Housing CEO Katrina Bach, a woman with extensive public service experience of over 25 years. She was tipped to become head of the Social Development Ministry. Headlining on the front page of our capital's newspaper with barely a fact or shred of evidence seems already to have put paid to another scintillating career.
How does that help women head-bumping against the glass ceiling?