Up Front by Emma Hart

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Up Front: Not Such a Hard Word After All

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  • giovanni tiso,

    I won't hold my breath waiting

    That seems a very wise course of action.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    And for some deliciously ironic commentary on the intersection between justice, spin, and media coverage:

    "While I am shocked and also saddened that it has got this far, in terms of all the allegations and charges, I am more determined than ever to fight to declare my name," Veitch said.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Veitch should start praying some of these folks end up on the jury. There are times when I'm just embarrassed to be a human being.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    declare my name

    Did he actually say that, or did they write it down wrong? The Dom today offered the headline "Women dies at train station" so I'm putting my money on the latter for now.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    If so, thats tragic.

    Turns out it was just one woman. Still tragic, but I admit I was relieved.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Stewart,

    Did he actually say that, or did they write it down wrong? The Dom today offered the headline "Women dies at train station" so I'm putting my money on the latter for now.

    I'd put my money on that too, given the frequency at which the sub-editorial staff of both the Herald and Stuff websites give me reason to despair for humanity. But either way, it's still telling.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Veitch should start praying some of these folks end up on the jury. There are times when I'm just embarrassed to be a human being.

    I had to go look. And then I had to post a comment ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Wonderful.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    I meant that genuinely - I feel the need for an anti-sarcasm tag sometimes..

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    DPF is a friend of mine but I'll stick to my view that it's a matter of when not if one of his resident psycho-trolls lands him in court.

    In the meantime it's hard to escape the impression that, to borrow Spike Milligan's words, there's a cancer in the public breast, and Mr. Farrar feels that it's his duty to nurture it.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    I don't know if that's true or not, because the complainant's name is permanently suppressed. God, DPF is a friend of mine but I'll stick to my view that it's a matter of when not if one of his resident psycho-trolls lands him in court.

    Oh good one, dude! And then you post the statement in question on my blog!?

    No worries. Did feel the need to delete it, though.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Russell:

    D'oh... If we're both in the same room on Thursday, someone is going to get expensive and super-rich cake by way of apology.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    When you say apology craig, do you mean Bugsy malone style.

    Steven: Blasphemer! I'm thinking of a lemon tart that isn't afraid to be... well, tart. Not for throwing, but to be savoured like the nipples of your lover during a blissful orgy of mutual pleasure. (Yes, I view sweets with near Olympic levels of hyperbole.)

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Just for the record, I think this trial will heap humiliation and embarrassment on all the protagonists, and that that, rather than any "blackmail" (Martin Hirst demonstrates that even lefties can lose the plot on that one) or (you just knew a Kiwiblog commenter would go there) a Labour Party plot is a reason this matter has not come before the courts until now.

    I feel like emailing my guesses to a third party. But that would be trite.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Martin Hirst demonstrates that even lefties can lose the plot on that one

    To half-assedly defend Hirst, I guess this is one area of media ethics where it would take a saint NOT to get some shit on the pumps -- and when it's all over, it might be worth applying clothes peg to nose and doing a Media7 on how the self-proclaimed 'victims' of trial by media aren't above being perpetrators. You sure won't be short of (carefully vetted by legal, I'm sure) case studies.

    But once again, I've really got to wonder whether editing a Sunday newspaper involves... well, any kind of actual editorial judgement? I don't think anyone need to be reminded of my non-existent respect for Cate Brett; and Shane Currie still has some questions to answer about whether there's any conflict of interest rules at APN, and whether Paul Holmes breeched them with his softball handjob interview of Veitch.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Martin Hirst,

    Russell, not sure why you think I've lost the plot on the blackmail issue.

    All I've done is post it as a question, based on the spin coming from the Veitch PR machine.

    I have not once said I think that there's blackmail involved; but I think that is a perception that should be addressed on the 'evidence'.

    I don't think anyone's going to come out of this affair with their reputation intact. Veitch's lawyers will fight hard to clear his name. The trial will be ugly with claim and counter-claim.

    How is the court going to come to an opinion on allegations that are six years old? The well has been muddied successfully on this case.

    Auckland • Since Aug 2008 • 2 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

    How is the court going to come to an opinion on allegations that are six years old?

    One way would be with documentary evidence from the accused. Hence the police search and seizure.

    Anyway, courts "come to opinions" -- reach verdicts, even -- on sex abuse cases that are far futher in the past, with no physical evidence, purely on the basis of testimony. This case will be straightforward by comparison.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    I have not once said I think that there's blackmail involved; but I think that is a perception that should be addressed on the 'evidence'.

    Yeah Martin, but you do keep using the word. In your own comment under the post I linked to, you say:

    I have come to the conclusion that the ‘blackmail’ angle is in the mix if you read between the lines.

    This after a prior post titled Was Tony Veitch being blackmailed?.

    Passively saying something is still saying it, especially when you do so repeatedly. Blackmail is a criminal offence. It has a specific meaning. And it can be complained about to the police.

    As I said above, this case will likely heap humiliation on all concerned when it comes to court. But I don't think hurling around words like "blackmail" is helpful at all.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Anyway, courts "come to opinions" -- reach verdicts, even -- on sex abuse cases that are far futher in the past, with no physical evidence, purely on the basis of testimony. This case will be straightforward by comparison.

    Quite. There is a public acknowledgement by the accused that something took place that led to a trip to hospital, news organisations have the paperwork for subsequent financial compensation, and ACC has a historical injury report from Ms Dunne-Powell that it has taken the unusual step of explicitly endorsing. There will be many people called to give evidence for either side.

    It's not exactly Sensing Murder.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    I'd like to thank you all for directing me to the Kiwiblog thread.

    Seriously, thanks a bunch.

    (Reaches for a bottle of hard liquor.)

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Passively saying something is still saying it, especially when you do so repeatedly. Blackmail is a criminal offence. It has a specific meaning. And it can be complained about to the police.

    Nicely put, Russell - it's all too cute and Gossip Girl for words. Sorry for sounding like a broken record, but where's the editorial judgement here? "Hey, I'm not saying Buffy Rockerfella is a nympho slut, that's just what I've been told..."

    Also, if Martin is seriously blogging about "media ethics", how about he stops "reading between the lines' and engages in a little critical analysis of the media outlets who constructed 'the lines' in the first place?

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I'd like to thank you all for directing me to the Kiwiblog thread.

    Seriously, thanks a bunch.

    (Reaches for a bottle of hard liquor.)

    Equally seriously, there are times I get all Andrew Sullivan and wonder if the right really needs saving from itself. There's something really depressing about the idea of the rule of law being defined down as "political correctness gone mad".

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    I'd like to thank you all for directing me to the Kiwiblog thread.

    Seriously, thanks a bunch.

    ditto. I got suckered too. Craig! Where are you !:)

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    ditto. I got suckered too. Craig! Where are you !:)

    Trying to not get sucked into the crazy vortex, though according to one charmer I'm apparently off framing real men out of politically correct misandry and general envy of Veitch's talent and fortune. Really, how do you rationally engage with the fundamentally irrational (if not outright psychotic)?

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Meanwhile, nice to see "Steve Pierson" keeping up this thoughtful analysis:

    Tracey Watkins is said by some of her colleagues to be spending an ‘unseemly’ about of time hanging out in John Key’s office, she’s certainly spent enough time at National HQ recently to get similar with the wall hangings. So, it’s fairly safe to say we know where her loyalties lie, and it’s not with journalistic independence.

    I think it's fairly safe to say that both Kiwiblog and The Standard are getting deleted from my RSS reader until after the election.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

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