Opinion: A text earlier this week caught my eye - I didn’t get to it because there’s just been too much brilliant feedback to even get through let alone read on-air or write about lately. This one wasn’t particularly brilliant but it is worth a mention.
Based on the text the texter won’t be reading this now anyway but I think it’s worth acknowledging the general tenor of it cause there are bound to be some of you who feel similarly.
I can’t remember exactly what it said but it was along the lines of - 'I gave you a go but you’re not balanced, you’re just like the other guy always bagging the government, I’m out' - something like that... perhaps a bit ruder.
And yeah some days I’m gonna bag the government. The government has stuffed up on a fair few levels lately - we’re not going to ignore that. Likewise, we won’t ignore it when the opposition stuffs up.
This is not a party partisan criticism - this is a governance criticism. I couldn’t give any fluffy ducks which party they belong to.
But if you’re the government and you screw up governance we’re probably gonna be pretty ruthless. I think - I hope - you’d be even more critical of us if we weren’t.
I’m used to receiving criticism from the left and the right - I’m completely fine with it. It literally comes in 50/50.
But it’s a shame if you see things so black and white. I really want you to see the rich rainbow in between.
Don’t just listen for the thing that offends you. The criticism of your party or your politics that you might take personally. Listen to the whole interview - there are often compliments and criticism bedded within.
Don’t just listen to one interview or one editorial either - listen to an entire show - an entire day here at Today FM. There is no single opinion here and I love hearing and being swayed by views different to mine.
Some days - yeah depending on which side you’re rooting for - it might feel like I’m beating up on your guys or praising the other side too much. For the other half of our listeners that day they might be saying - finally Tova’s seen the light and she’s doing her job, holding that lot to account.
That’s fine.
And I don’t mind losing that listener that texted in - they made up their mind. That’s fine too. Shit happens.
But genuinely I promise - l will give credit where credit’s due, and I will definitely give criticism where I feel it’s warranted. And I’ll hear you out when you disagree with me.
But please don’t mistake my cracks or kudos for me picking a side.
You might love me one day, and hate me the next. Hopefully, most of you fall in the middle.
And that for me, is balance.
