Richard Harmon

Just man up, and I'm sorry to use that man word, but just get in there and give it your best shot.

And I think the public respect that.

I don't think the public particularly likes this undermining of the media either.

Well, I think the worst example of this is obviously the Prime Minister.

And the Prime Minister's media relations have not worked.

He doesn't understand the role of the press gallery.

He doesn't really understand the media.

He comes from a marketing and advertising background where you buy your coverage with ads or whatever.

And I think he finds it difficult that after he's made a statement, people ask him questions.

And so that has changed.

But most of the other ministers, I mean, we've just seen all through the fuel crisis, Nicola Willis, for example,

holding very frank and useful briefings on the situation, willing to take questions.

Tempers have been restrained, and that's been good.

And there are a lot of ministers like that who are willing to engage with the media in different ways, perhaps.

So I don't think that's the problem.

Most are still happy to use conventional media.

I think the Prime Minister's a bit of an exception and that's a product of his own background.

I think part of the answer to getting widespread trust in the media back is to go back and concentrate on the old-fashioned fundamentals of journalism, and that is fairness, balance, accuracy.

and try to move away from opinion.

More and more opinion has crept in as the economics, the business model of the media has collapsed because opinion is cheaper to produce than quality journalism.