Veitch comes full circle… almost

An article by Paul    Comments Off

Embattled broadcaster Tony Vietch pleaded guilty today to a charge of ‘reckless disregard causing injury’ and in doing do drew to a close of what he must surely hope will be the end of the long drawn out saga of he said / she said. Or is it?

Watching TVNZ’s coverage of the Veitch aftermath tonight I could only but think of the numerous angles savvy journalists will now seek to explore to extend the story arc even further. Watch for this.

Vietch seemed likewise inclined to maintain the momentum by openly vowing to hold certain media outlets accountable over the ‘frenzy’ and ‘standards of reporting’ conducted during the whole affair.

I for one found it intriguing to watch former employers front tonight as part of the TVNZ Close Up segment. Perhaps nothing can be more appealing to a broadcasting company than a well known and now highly polarising figure such as Vietch?

Managing his (sure to follow or should that be sure to rise) transition back to mainstream media will be fascinating to watch on two fronts.

Firstly how Tony decides to handle issues and questions raised post trial over the ensuing 3-5 weeks will be key to any future chances he may entertain to a return to ‘his old life’.

Secondly watch for the subtle interplay between former host and former employers as they seek to navigate an openly acknowledged path laden with the landmines of public opinion and mistrust.

Vietch and his former partner may have each ‘won the battle’ today in the courts and can now hope to move on but for Vietch in many ways the battle is only just beginning.

In this next battle to win the ‘hearts and minds’ of a deeply mistrustful public - time, PR spin and public savvay will tell if the war will truely be won for Mr Veitch.