Journalist arrogance

I’ve been reflecting on the Stuff column where a journalist used the c word against female Ministers because she disagreed with a policy decision of the Government. Because I think it tells us something about arrogance and superiority.

If a reader of Stuff had submitted the paragraphs that used the c word and other insults as a comment on the Stuff website, it would never have seen the light of day. In fact their terms and conditions make it clear. There would be no debate, no discussion. They would never allow a comment which used the c word against female Ministers.

If a columnist who was not a journalist employed by the media outlet had submitted that column, there is no way it would have been accepted. The Opinion Editor would send it back to them and say something along the lines of “Are you crazy, you can’t use the c word against female politicians. Go change your column if you want us to run it”.

But because in this case a columnist was a journalist, they got together and said “yes it is okay to run it”. They have this view that anyone who isn’t a journalist who uses the c word against female politicians is being threatening and abusive, but we journalists are superior. Only we can judge when it is appropriate. When we use it, we are merely showing how passionately we think this is a bad policy, but when anyone else uses it they are being coarse and threatening.

Journalists are obviously a superior breed. Non-journalists can never use the c word. Only journalists have the training, intellect and superiority to be able to decide when you can call a female Minister a c**t.