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Jim Tucker is a former editor and journalist based mostly in New Plymouth.
OPINION: Acronyms are like cockroaches – ever-present, cringeworthy…and downright embarrassing when bureaucrats invoking well-intentioned cultural references neglect to verify the capital letter mixtures.
Some created by former well being boards inside our new well being setup, Te Whatu Ora – Well being NZ (TWOHNZ) might even make it onto social media humorous pages.
Within the early 2000s, Taranaki’s polytechnic prevented such traps when it morphed into Western Institute of Know-how at Taranaki.
That is a clunky title – however higher than Taranaki Institute of Know-how or Western Institute of Know-how. Unlucky acronyms have been prevented when the polytech council noticed the traps.
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There was mirth over the latest discovery that certainly one of Taranaki District Well being Board’s new monikers has been shortened into an acronym that’s removed from well mannered.
After I recorded that in my column final week (with out remark) I received a observe from Te Whatu Ora -Taranaki’s new PR man, Bruce Gatwood-Cook dinner, asking me to chorus from repeating it. He needn’t have apprehensive, for apparent causes.
Nevertheless, that will not be of a lot profit to what I am going to prudently name Well being Taranaki (HT). The opposite acronym stays an inauspicious begin to what well being spin-doctors pitched as a grand new starting.
ANDY JACKSON/Stuff
The federal government has deserted any vestige of openness with regard to well being, Jim Tucker says.
It was extra far-reaching than Taranaki, too. East Coast has the identical downside with Tairāwhiti.
However there are greater issues to fret about than acronym accidents.
The absence of transparency within the new well being scheme’s governance is a much more critical problem. Any semblance of board-table media oversight of our public well being establishments has been eradicated.
Whereas Witt needed to fulfill its governors and customers – in a public discussion board – concerning the particulars of its transformation, HT managers seem like a regulation unto their secretive selves. Self, even, given the extent of its CEO’s autocratic powers (topic solely to some central management).
Oddly sufficient, I’m sympathetic.
Time was, public organisations coped fairly nicely with media scrutiny, as a result of journalism was carried out by a loosely recognised entity referred to as the “fourth property”.
Sleight-of-hand conference contends that freedom of expression is a pillar of democracy and the scrutinising of governments can theoretically be accomplished by anybody. In actuality, although, solely journalists might apply.
However that each one modified when the web and smart-phones opened up communications. Fairly all of a sudden, you did not want coaching, a code of ethics and a company behind you to publish your model of occasions.
Public our bodies can now be reported by the ever present “anybody”, which means journalism as practised by established media retailers like Stuff, TVNZ, RadioNZ and NZME – guided by long-established disciplines and equity – is much less more likely to outcome.
Some public establishments have responded by adopting a comparatively new authorized requirement to be met by these wanting admission to restricted gatherings like Household Court docket or the Youth Court docket.
Any “reporter” in search of entry to these should adhere to a recognised code of ethics or, within the case of radio and TV, authorized guidelines.
Historically, print journalism codes of ethics have been voluntary and toothless, with escape clauses attending virtually each promise. These have been deemed crucial by the editors and house owners who wrote them, to guard the liberty of expression assured in our structure.
TV and radio journalists face heavier oversight as a result of politicians have at all times needed tighter management over what they worry are extra highly effective media.
Not so highly effective because the web, nevertheless, the place controls are absent or illusory. On the ‘web, codes of ethics or behaviour are as uncommon as a impartial information account.
Examine NZ laws for point out of media controls and also you’ll discover the identical code of ethics rule has now been written into dozens of legal guidelines. Lawmakers think about it enough to make sure solely “actual” journalists get entry to delicate arenas.
With well being, nevertheless, the federal government has deserted any vestige of openness and opted to exclude most if not all common direct media protection.
Not solely are formally elected and open boards of governance allotted with, however their semi-replacements – powerless, hand-picked advisory councils – aren’t but being required to accommodate media reporting.
Well being Taranaki will function in secrecy for now, solely possibly permitting the reporting of its Client Council conferences “in time”.
What nonsense.
They need to be open to public scrutiny instantly, whereas HT is devising methods to shift public well being focus away from the cliff edge and on to major care and prevention.
Limiting media entry to bona fide reporters would assist guarantee skilled protection. What higher method for well being managers to keep away from making twits of themselves than taking the general public together with them in an accountable method.
Jim Tucker is a former editor and journalist based mostly in New Plymouth.
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