1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:03,560 Speaker 1: The high profile murder trial in which Philip Pokinghorn was 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:06,240 Speaker 1: found not guilty of murdering his wife, Pauline Hannah, is 3 00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:09,280 Speaker 1: set to be turned into a drama series. Development of 4 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:13,080 Speaker 1: the dramatized storytelling was announced today by South Pacific Pictures. 5 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 1: This comes after veteran documentary maker Mac McNeil confirmed he 6 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:19,800 Speaker 1: is creating a three part documentary series on the trial. 7 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:22,959 Speaker 1: Donald Matheson is a professor of Media and Communications at 8 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:26,799 Speaker 1: Canterbury University, and he is with me now, good afternoon, Donald, 9 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:31,960 Speaker 1: Im sure do we need another project retelling this story? 10 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 2: It seems that we were early, and I know that 11 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 2: media organizations are really keen to get in quite early 12 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 2: to grab the story before someone else does and also 13 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 2: before interest in it wings. But it fails to me. 14 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:53,600 Speaker 2: Too soon after the trial, after Olin Hanna's death, thinking 15 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 2: of all the people who have caught for the charm 16 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 2: of the trial, then the inquest, and then they'll be 17 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:02,280 Speaker 2: this dramatization coming out after that seems to me like, 18 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 2: you know, if you're profiting from other people's suffering, you 19 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 2: need to leave a bit of time to elapse so 20 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 2: that that suffering lessons are weaver. 21 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: I couldn't agree with you more. Is there a risk 22 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 1: of defamation or an accuracy with media projects like this. 23 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:22,680 Speaker 2: If they stick close to the material that was raised 24 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 2: in the court. I suppose they are. You know, they'll 25 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:29,039 Speaker 2: they'll have people looking closely at that. There was a 26 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 2: lot of material for them to look at. Then maybe 27 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 2: they'll be okay. I think the worry is more that 28 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 2: it's kind of relitigating the trial, and I think that 29 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:43,240 Speaker 2: has to be quite a big public interest in doing that. 30 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 2: You know, evidence that hasn't been heard or things that 31 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 2: haven't been dealt with adequately in the trial, and then 32 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 2: there's a case for someone to come in and and 33 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 2: do a public investigation into into the story or a dramatization. 34 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 2: But I haven't heard any any statement like that from 35 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:04,960 Speaker 2: the from the publicity that's come out. 36 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: I mean, we still have a coronial inquest to go to, 37 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:10,639 Speaker 1: don't we The trial was quite literally live blogged from 38 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 1: the courtroom. What were your thoughts on the ethics of 39 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 1: media coverage like this. 40 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, there's always a risk when you're when you're live 41 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 2: blogging or live covering a trial, that you'll be focusing 42 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:26,640 Speaker 2: on the things that have been said in the moment 43 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 2: and not putting them into the context of each other. 44 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 2: And so you're throwing a whole lot of details at 45 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 2: people without putting them into context. And that doesn't you know, 46 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 2: there's a risk to public understanding of the story there. 47 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 2: I mean, judges have got the capacity to restrict that. 48 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 2: It's worried that something might be said and name suppressed, 49 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 2: and that if it was being covered live, that that 50 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 2: could go out with the suppression at risk. But I 51 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:01,839 Speaker 2: think the big issue is that it it can get 52 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 2: a bit vioristic. It's about the excitement of hearing things 53 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,200 Speaker 2: live rather than understanding the justice process and action. 54 00:03:08,760 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: Donald, thank you so much for your thoughts. Appreciated. That 55 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:15,079 Speaker 1: was Donald Matheson, Professor of Media and Communications at Canterbury University. 56 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:18,959 Speaker 2: For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to 57 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 2: news talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow 58 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:23,920 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.