A watershed moment in the career of every Prime Minister is not when the media turns on them, but when they turn on the media. It’s a battle the PM will eventually lose.
Winston Peters is different. He has been battling journalists forever. His current goading of them is consistent with his long-running style of politics.
But Peters should now tweak the way he conducts the fight. The better approach would be to withdraw from the offensive, ignore journalists who attack him, and grant time to those who don’t. Even Jacinda did this but with more warmth. Winston could explain that he is applying to journalists the same public interest test he says is at the heart of this coalition.
