Manufacturing Heroes
In the small country of New Zealand there is an observable tendancy to install heroes. News readers are more influential than politicians.
We subscribe to a media that represents itself with a Hollywood style star system.
It is fairly natural perception that special treatment was afforded to McDonald as a news reader may stir people. In fact that is true, the Judge directed the offender to a home detention rather than serve his sentence of 8 months behind bars due to the acknowledged availability of drugs in NZ prison. The same thing would have happened if McDonald was not famous, but we would not have heard about it.
News readers have to ensure what they say is legitimate and reasonable or suffer complete rejection. MPs however can say what they like under protection of parliamentary privilege without fear of the courts.
NZ's Prime Minister in the 70s, Sir Robert Muldoon was an acknowledged alcoholic. This was kept secret from or by the media of the day.
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