Mediawatch

Colin Peacock talks to Emile Donovan about an historic day - not in a good way. The confirmation of the closure of Newshub and more cuts confirmed at TVNZ means more than 300 journalists' jobs will go by midyear - and TV news and current affairs will shrivel. Also: the latest report on trust in the news media reveals a further decline - and listeners' questions about what it all means. Midweek Mediawatch - Mediawatch's weekly catch-up with Nights. Colin Peacock talks to Emile Donovan about the confirmation of the closure of Newshub and more cuts confirmed at TVNZ. More than 300 journalists' jobs will go by midyear and TV news and current affairs will shrivel. Will another media company fill the Newshub void?Also: the latest report on trust in the news media reveals a further decline - and listeners' questions about what it all means. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

TVNZ has confirmed Fair Go - on air for 47 years - and news shows Midday and Tonight will cease next month. The future of Sunday will be confirmed tomorrow. Meanwhile a decision on alternatives to a proposal to close Newshub in June is expected tomorrow from its owner Warner Brothers Discovery. TVNZ has confirmed Fair Go - on air for 47 years - and news shows Midday and Tonight will cease next month. The future of Sunday will be confirmed tomorrow. Meanwhile a decision on alternatives to a proposal to close Newshub in June is expected tomorrow from its owner Warner Brothers Discovery. After meeting with staff today, TVNZ also said in a statement it is proposing "a new team to be established as part of its News and Current Affairs function, with a specific focus on long-form consumer and current affairs for TVNZ's digital platforms." If confirmed, TVNZ said this would be "an opportunity to continue reporting under the Fair Go brand and viewers would still be able to share their consumer concerns by writing to the Fair Go inbox. On Facebook, Fair Go staff told followers: "We've looked at a problem - and with TVNZ - we think we've found a solution." "While how you see our stories could change, it's important Fair Go still be there to fight for New Zealanders, so keep writing in and we'll update you when we can," the Facebook post said.After TVNZ announced in March 68 jobs and several programmes could be axed, O'Donnell said there were "no sacred cows." "The restructure is expected to be complete by early next month," the statement said, leaving the door open to further cuts in other areas of TVNZ production. TVNZ's online youth-focused arm Re:News was also told its staffing was likely to be cut in half. Its staff meets with TVNZ staff this afternoon. Sunday's staff meet management tomorrow and a final meeting to brief all TVNZ staff is expected mid-afternoon tomorrow. Last month TVNZ news reported the Fair Go team was bidding to keep the 47-year-old show on the screen.Staff at Newshub are expecting an to be told at 11am tomorrow if the service will close in June with the possible loss of up to 300 jobs. It has been reported that other media companies are interested in acquiring Newshub and continuing a scaled-down news service but no details of any negotitaions have been confirmed. Michael Wood, who has led negotiations for the journalists' union E tū, told RNZ today it would be " a challenging day at TVNZ."TVNZ told Mediawatch last Friday TVNZ's news teams have all provided feedback on the proposals relating to their area. …Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

We talk to an editor keeping an eye on where public money for public services ends up and the government's new political action plan gets the media's attention.This week Mediawatch talks to an editor keeping an eye on where public money for public services ends up. Also: how the Government's new political action plan got the media's attention this week - and how the long-standing problem of rebuilding schools suddenly hit the headlines.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Hayden Donnell talks to Emile Donovan about the government's new chunked-out action plan, a new channel coming to the ThreeNow app - and why media companies chasing online engagement risk alienating their users.In this week's edition of Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Emile Donovan about the government's new chunked-out action plan, a new channel coming to the ThreeNow app - and why media companies chasing online engagement risk alienating their users.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Gabrielle review lessons for media; Dolphin drama fires up media.Mediawatch looks at how dolphins stalled the Sail GP regatta last Sunday and fired up Sir Russell Coutts in the process. Also, politicians and the media... but were important facts drowned out by all the noise? And a big review of the Cyclone Gabrielle response says the emergency management was not fit for purpose. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Colin Peacock talks to Emile Donovan about the dolphin drama that divided the nation (and the media) last weekend - and royal revelations that overshadowed a terrorist atrocity in Moscow. Also: the PM and party leaders drop hints about upcoming policy to help cash-strapped news media. Midweek Mediawatch - Mediawatch's weekly catch-up with Nights. Colin Peacock talks to Emile Donovan about the dolphin drama that divided the nation (and the media) last weekend - and royal revelations that overshadowed a terrorist atrocity in Moscow. Also: the PM and party leaders drop hints about upcoming policy to help cash-strapped news media.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Mediawatch looks at the fallout from Winston Peters' criticism of the media in his State of The Nation speech.Mediawatch looks at the fallout from Winston Peters' criticism of the media in his State of The Nation speech - and an unlikely stand-off with an English punk band. Also, the death of Rod Oram. The team looks at a broadcaster falling foul of discrimination and denigration rules - and when politicians say the news media must innovate to survive, what does that really mean? Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Hayden Donnell talked to Emile Donovan about Winston Peters attacking the news media in his State of the Nation speech - and the death of Rod Oram, a much-admired journalist dedicated to coverage of business and climate change. Also: how many journalists are left in New Zealand - and the rights and wrongs of airing 'hot mic' comments. Midweek Mediawatch - Mediawatch's weekly catch-up with Nights. Hayden Donnell talked to Emile Donovan about the fallout from Winston Peters attacking the news media in his State of the Nation speech - and the death of Rod Oram, a much-admired journalist dedicated to coverage of business and climate change. Also: how many journalists are left in New Zealand; the rights and wrongs of airing 'hot mic' comments. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Artificial intelligence tech threatens to take our eyeballs even further away from the outlets which produce news - but it's also a tool they can use to make more of it. This week Stuff - which has warned AI could wreck the business of journalism - used Chat GPT to write a stories about readers' opinions. Mediawatch asks an unimpressed editor if we all just have to get used to this now.Artificial intelligence technology threatens to take our eyeballs even further away from the outlets which produce news - but it's also a tool they can use to make more of it. This week Stuff - which has warned AI could wreck the business of journalism - used Chat GPT to write stories about readers' opinions. Mediawatch asks an unimpressed editor if we all just have to get used to this now.Readers browsing the country's most popular news site were beckoned by an enticing headline last week."Stuff poll says Christchurch NZ's best place," it began, before adding, "New Plymouth not happy about it".The headline contained two crucial selling points for news: controversy and a metaphysical conundrum. First of all, is Christchurch truly New Zealand's best place? Could it be that Stuff reader polls are somehow wrong?But more importantly, how is New Plymouth - a metropolitan centre not blessed with the gift of consciousness - able to express unhappiness? Does a cloud roll off Mt Taranaki and hang over the city to signal its displeasure? Do the waves crash more angrily on Fitzroy Beach?The story didn't answer those questions, perhaps because it was written by another entity which has not been awakened to the joy, confusion, and dread of mortal existence.A standfirst at the top of the story explains that it was assembled by a robot."This story was summarised from original Stuff reporting and published member comments using generative AI tool Chat GPT with oversight and editing from Stuff journalists," it said.This may have struck some as a slightly strange thing for Stuff to publish, given its leaders have been outspoken about the threat AI poses to journalism.Its chief executive Sinead Boucher warned about a AI-driven potential media-pocaplyse at a recent select committee hearing on the proposed Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill. "In this last year we have seen the rise of AI technology that has been hailed as a gamechanger for humanity by the tech companies that own it but which at its core has an egregious wholesale theft of our content and our intellectual property," she said. "For the news media globally this development is looking increasingly like an extinction-level event."…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Government intervention in TV news crisis, challenges in broadcasting industry, implications of AI in journalism, debates on media regulations, concerns over political interference in funding decisions, and exploring AI in journalism for innovation in media companies