Debate etiquette calls for adequate time to present an argument for both sides, limited interjections, no name calling and finger pointing, and appeals to fact not emotion. Both of our debates so far have broken these rules.
And that's before mentioning the role of the TV organizers who, like the chair persons, should be impartial. But in the first TV1 debate the camera showed Judith Collins face-on speaking to you in the audience and Jacinda side-on in shadow speaking to someone off stage, and in the TV3 debate Judith Collins had 18% more camera time. What's that they say about one picture and a thousand words?
In both debates chair persons John Campbell and Patrick Gower spoke (after ad time is deducted) for an incredible 20 and 30% of the time, and the "average uninterrupted speaking time in the TV3 debate was less than 10 seconds." (Mark Boyd, Stuff). The TV1 debate was a little better at 20 seconds, but who can possibly develop an argument in even that time? Sound bites, and one off lines, yes, but not a coherent argument about policy.
Interjections, name calling and finger pointing were also over the odds. Judith Collins interjected 13 and 26 times in the two debates (I didn't count name calling and finger pointing) and Jacinda Ardern 6 and 14 times. The chair persons did nothing to restrain them, and the media applauded. They made the debates more entertaining —as if that is their purpose.
In the first debate Judith Collins was almost in tears when she spoke of the poverty her husband grew up in, and in the second of her brother-in-law being diagnosed with cancer. Both comments were spposed to be in response to Labour's only partially successful promise to reduce child poverty, and impaired medical access during Covid.
And that's before mentioning the role of the TV organizers who, like the chair persons, should be impartial. But in the first TV1 debate the camera showed Judith Collins face-on speaking to you in the audience and Jacinda side-on in shadow speaking to someone off stage, and in the TV3 debate Judith Collins had 18% more camera time. What's that they say about one picture and a thousand words?
In both debates chair persons John Campbell and Patrick Gower spoke (after ad time is deducted) for an incredible 20 and 30% of the time, and the "average uninterrupted speaking time in the TV3 debate was less than 10 seconds." (Mark Boyd, Stuff). The TV1 debate was a little better at 20 seconds, but who can possibly develop an argument in even that time? Sound bites, and one off lines, yes, but not a coherent argument about policy.
Interjections, name calling and finger pointing were also over the odds. Judith Collins interjected 13 and 26 times in the two debates (I didn't count name calling and finger pointing) and Jacinda Ardern 6 and 14 times. The chair persons did nothing to restrain them, and the media applauded. They made the debates more entertaining —as if that is their purpose.
In the first debate Judith Collins was almost in tears when she spoke of the poverty her husband grew up in, and in the second of her brother-in-law being diagnosed with cancer. Both comments were spposed to be in response to Labour's only partially successful promise to reduce child poverty, and impaired medical access during Covid.
She then outdid herself yesterday by praying in church on camera as she went to vote.
I hope the next two debates will be better. More likely, the public will be no better informed when they ended than they were when before they started.
Vote Mickey Mouse. Vote Alice in Wonderland. Vote Tarzan with his apes in the jungle. Vote Kiwi 2020. Our media is so fair and helpful!
-- ACW
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