Interim chief executive for Queenstown Lakes District Council. 

Detected Manipulations & Suggested Changes

Appeal to authority

Relying on the status or authority of individuals or institutions to imply that a decision is correct or optimal, without providing substantive supporting evidence.

“Mayor John Glover said the appointment followed a robust process, led by Local Government New Zealand.” “The most important decision that this council will make is to appoint the substantive replacement for Mike Theelen. Michelle brings the knowledge and experience needed to lead the organisation as it faces the reforms and challenges over the coming months pending that appointment, and it is wonderful that we will have an interim who can hit the ground running,” he said.

3 suggestions

Add brief, concrete details about what made the process ‘robust’ (e.g., number of candidates considered, criteria used, independent oversight) rather than relying solely on the mayor’s assertion and the involvement of Local Government New Zealand.

Clarify that the statements about Michelle’s suitability are the mayor’s opinions, and, if possible, supplement with factual indicators of performance (e.g., key projects led, measurable outcomes) instead of only authority-based endorsement.

Include a neutral sentence distinguishing between verifiable facts (her roles, qualifications) and evaluative judgments (that she can ‘hit the ground running’).

Appeal to emotion

Using emotionally positive language to create a favorable impression rather than presenting neutral, factual description.

“...and it is wonderful that we will have an interim who can hit the ground running,” he said. “His retirement marks the end of a significant chapter for QLDC and I am sure will open a new one for Mike and his family,” he said.

3 suggestions

Attribute emotional language clearly as personal sentiment and, where appropriate, balance it with neutral description. For example: “The mayor described the appointment as ‘wonderful’, saying he believed she could ‘hit the ground running.’”

Replace or supplement metaphorical phrasing like “marks the end of a significant chapter” with more neutral wording such as “His retirement concludes his ten-year tenure as chief executive at QLDC.”

Add a neutral summary sentence that separates the emotional tone from the factual core, e.g., “These comments reflect the mayor’s personal appreciation of Theelen’s service.”

Biased language / positive framing

Using consistently positive descriptors that promote a favorable view of one side without offering any neutral or critical context.

“Michelle brings the knowledge and experience needed to lead the organisation as it faces the reforms and challenges over the coming months…” “it is wonderful that we will have an interim who can hit the ground running” “it is fully evident that his commitment to public service and in particular his belief in the purpose of local government are values that he holds very dearly.”

3 suggestions

Clarify that these are value-laden characterizations from the mayor, not established facts, e.g., “The mayor said he believed Michelle brings the knowledge and experience needed…”

Balance the positive framing with neutral context, such as noting that the article does not assess her performance or that no alternative views were sought for this brief announcement.

Where possible, replace or supplement subjective praise with specific, verifiable achievements (e.g., “She has overseen X major policy initiatives during her tenure as general manager of strategy and policy.”).

Omission of key information / unbalanced reporting (mild)

Presenting only one, uniformly positive perspective on a decision without acknowledging the absence of other viewpoints or potential concerns.

The article only includes the mayor’s positive comments about the appointment process, the interim CEO, and the outgoing CEO. There is no mention of whether there were other candidates, any debate within the council, or any public reaction, even to note that none was available at the time.

3 suggestions

Add a brief clarifying line such as: “No other councillors or external stakeholders were immediately available for comment on the appointment.” or “The council did not disclose details of other candidates considered for the interim role.”

If relevant information exists, include whether there was any dissent or alternative views within the council regarding the appointment.

Explicitly frame the piece as a short appointment notice, e.g., “This announcement summarises the council’s decision and the mayor’s comments; it does not include independent evaluation of the appointment.”