It's Tuesday lunchtime and several emails have come in asking, "I'm writing an article about why someone with a high salary would shoplift, and I'd love to chat to a forensic psychologist about it," and, "We're doing an explainer this afternoon on why people shoplift and are looking for comment from an expert in psychology. I wondered if you or anyone from your team would be available to speak about this today?"
I'd be surprised if you haven't made the connection - Green MP Golriz Ghahraman had just resigned after allegations of shoplifting. But if you're the email recipient and you've been in a media blackout, say, over the holidays, this is a wee bit naughty. There's the risk that someone might agree to a chat, only to then find out it's about a specific person.
In my field, we have to be really careful about providing commentary on real people, particularly if the story has anything to do with mental health.
This story is from the February 03-09, 2024 edition of New Zealand Listener.
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This story is from the February 03-09, 2024 edition of New Zealand Listener.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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