It has recently been announced that Asenati Lole-Taylor is ranked 16 on the NZ First list. This is a big drop from her number 8 ranking in 2011. Not as big as Andrew Williams who goes from 3rd to not being on the list at all. However, Asenati’s reaction has been interesting.
It is beyond the knowledge of this blog what exactly prompted NZ First to rank Asenati at 16, which is a pretty much unwinnable list ranking. But it is highly likely that some of her social media engagements played a role in this drop down the rankings. Add in her dealings with some in the media and the picture becomes clearer.
When the following observation is made:
Her reaction is:
What I think she fails to realise is that many of the examples used by the media to “discredit” her have been brought about by her. There was the recent example of her claiming that the Reserve Bank was foreign owned. As part of the reporting on this the media stopped her and asked questions of her on the issue. This is not a case of the media trying to discredit her, it is the media holding those in Parliament to account.
The evidence provided for many of these apparent attempts to “discredit her” have come from her own actions. Social media is not a standalone world where actions and comments don’t have consequences. There is no point trying to place the blame on the media when you have given them the evidence they need. Had she not built up the reputation on social media that she has, she may not have been dropped as far down the list.
