Graham Adams: From pigeon to statue - Siouxsie Wiles’ reputation takes a fresh hit

Graham Adams: Wiles faced flak last year for her role in the debate over including mātauranga Māori in the school science curriculum. Now a ruling by the Media Council has her back in the firing line.

Dr Siouxsie Wiles must by now have a good appreciation of the truth of the adage: “One day you’re the pigeon; the next day you’re the statue”.

A year ago, she was flying high. On 31 March 2021, she was made New Zealander of the Year for her leadership in the country’s Covid-19 response. She was presented with the award by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at a gala dinner in Auckland attended by 800 people.

On July 6, Dr Wiles was presented with the Critic and Conscience of Society Award, worth $50,000, given to academics who provide the public with independent, expert commentary on issues affecting the community.

Unfortunately, since those heady days, Dr Wiles’ reputation has taken a series of blows, including a brief furore over a video taken during last September’s Level 4 lockdown that showed her and another woman at an Auckland beach they had cycled to. They were chatting mask-less on the sand before the friend went into the water for a swim. 

Graham Adams: Double-edged sword of government-funded journalism cuts deep

TVNZ’s apparent lack of interest in Dr Siouxsie Wiles’ unmasked trip to the beach has raised questions about the media’s impartiality. Graham Adams assesses the fallout.

On Sunday morning, National’s Dr Shane Reti asked on Facebook for people’s “thoughts” about TVNZ’s decision not to broadcast the video of Dr Siouxsie Wiles sitting with a friend on a beach unmasked and later wading into the water to chat to her while she swam.

The video had allegedly been sent to 1 News by the person who filmed it. 1 News apparently held onto it for five days before deciding it wasn’t newsworthy enough to broadcast. It was then given to the right-leaning website The BFD, which did publish it — spurring immediate outrage.