Mediawatch

Colin Peacock talked to Emile Donovan about just-announced changes to RNZ National's schedule and an RNZ news story last weekend which prompted complaints. Also: an ex-MP's emotional interviews; defining sport once and for all - and what do Jacinda Ardern and Liverpool FC have in common?Midweek Mediawatch - Mediawatch's weekly catch-up with Nights. Colin Peacock talked to Emile Donovan about just-announced changes to RNZ National's schedule and an RNZ news story last weekend which prompted complaints. Also: an ex-MP's emotional interviews; defining sport once and for all - and what do Jacinda Ardern and Liverpool FC have in common? Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The summer holidays are usually a dead zone for domestic political news - but the unseasonal and unexpected downfall of Golriz Ghahraman bucked the trend this month. Media copped criticism from some for reporting the allegations that led to her resignation - while others railed at media for failing to condemn her alleged crimes and playing the 'mental health card'. The summer holidays are usually a dead zone for domestic political news - but the unseasonal and unexpected downfall of Golriz Ghahraman bucked the trend this month.Media copped criticism from some for reporting the allegations that led to her resignation - while others railed at media for failing to condemn her alleged crimes and playing the 'mental health card'.When Golriz Ghahraman resigned from Parliament on 16 January, her statement said work-related stress has damaged her mental health and led her to act in "out-of-character" ways. It was six days since the allegations of theft had first hit the headlines, followed by reports of a second and later a third instance for which the ex-MP was charged this week. That latest charge related to an incident back in October. What was clearly a closely kept secret broke on NZME's subscriber-only online service ZB Plus, which also reported the Greens had for some time had CCTV recording of alleged shoplifting. The allegations also appeared on the blog and social media accounts of Marc Spring, a blogger clearly hostile to the former government and the Green Party judging by the topics and tone of his posts. But there were no charges at that time and no on the record statement from police or any of the shops from which she'd been accused of stealing. Some questioned whether allegations that were initially unconfirmed - and unacknowledged by the MP - should have been reported in the news at all while police investigations were ongoing. But no news editor could easily ignore a lawmaker accused of breaking the law - and who also happened to be a party spokesperson on justice. The fact that the Greens stood her down from those roles even before making a proper statement about the allegations was taken as a sign by the media that there was at least some fire to go with all the smoke. The vacuum created by the lack of comment was filled by political commentators the media have on speed-dial, speculating on what might happen next and how the public felt about it all. The vacuum was further filled by political pundits criticising the Greens for failing to fill the vacuum themselves. "The longer her silence is, the worse it's going to get for her. That is an absolute reality," TV executive turned spin doctor Janet Wilson told RNZ. …Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, predictable reports of shark sightings signalled the start of the summer silly season. And with water running out in the capital, and a controversial campaign from Auckland's Watercare, even the culture wars didn't run out of steam over the holidays. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, reports of shark sightings signalled the start of the summer silly season for news. Meanwhile water running out in the capital, unswimmable beaches, sewage smells and a controversial conservation campaign in Auckland all watered down the holiday news drought too. The year 2024 was less than two days old when Newstalk ZB's Tim Roxborogh asked his listeners about shark sightings at the beach - a staple of the annual Kiwi summer news drought. He was prompted by former broadcaster Brodie Kane posting on Instagram a mock TV news-style live cross from Mount Maunganui beach, claiming "some people ran for their lives" including a child yelling that the shark was "so big".This was reported by papers from coast-to-coast. Even the far-off Otago Daily Times published a picture from the fuzzy footage of a fin in the water. But when The New Zealand Herald sought a second opinion, the eastern region manager of Surf Life Saving poured cold water on it. "We see them all the time ... it's pretty standard," he said. Shortly after, Tim Roxborogh moved on to another surefire silly season talkback topic. "What are the most dangerous roads?" he asked ZB listeners and calls about highways riddled with puncture-producing potholes poured in.For two days running in the new year, RNZ's Summer Report led with local mayors' gripes about the state of State Highway 1. But when a story headlined 'Laughing stock' appeared on the RNZ news site, one Mediawatch listener reckoned RNZ was having a laugh with a photo in it sourced from the Northland Potholes Facebook page. "This is not State Highway 1. It's Te One Street, Ruakaka," he said. (SH1 does skirt the Northland town but Te One street's patchy potholes are not part of our number one road.) However, not every mayor was griping at Waka Kotahi - aka the NZ Transport Agency - about potholes this summer.After State Highway 25a was sliced in two by Cyclone Gabrielle last year, it became a good news story just before Christmas when it reopened ahead of schedule and under budget. NZTA made the most of that in social media videos. …Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

What you missed over summer: harmless sharks, woke worries, sewage smells and water woes flood the holiday news drought; media cop flak for coverage of Golriz Ghahraman's downfall.This week Mediawatch looks back at what hit the headlines during the usual summer silly season - including the sudden downfall of MP Golriz Gharahaman, the state of the state highways and worries about water running out. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Accusations of bias over media commentary on the national hui at Tūrangawaewae marae. Media response to the downfall of Green MP Golriz Gharahman. Controversial opinion pieces by Mihi Forbes and John Campbell. Political situation for Mardi and grievances over decisions affecting Mardi health and the treaty. Controversy and criticism of John Campbell's articles. Impact of social media on freedom of speech and online abuse. Relationship between mental health and political scandals.

A special edition of Mediawatch looking back on the year in the media - ending with the Mediawatch five-minute mashup of 2023's news. A special edition of Mediawatch looking back on the year in the media - ending with the Mediawatch five-minute mashup of 2023's news. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Midweek Mediawatch - Mediawatch's weekly catch-up with Nights. Hayden Donnell and Colin Peacock joined Mark Leishman to hand out Mediawatch's not very prestigious and not at all coveted annual awards - including worst media cliche, most shameless ripoff, best media drama, and media over-reaction of the year. Midweek Mediawatch - Mediawatch's weekly catch-up with Nights. Hayden Donnell and Colin Peacock joined Mark Leishman to hand out Mediawatch's not very prestigious and not at all coveted annual awards - including worst media cliche, most shameless ripoff, best media drama, and media over-reaction of the year. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Covering news all over the country is a struggle for media companies dealing with rising costs and falling income. But some local outlets are surviving - and even thriving. Mediawatch's Hayden Donnel finds out who's doing the business in Horowhenua - and how they're doing it.Major media organisations have been cutting back in the regions for years leaving reporters thin on the ground - and local people short of local news. This week Mediawatch visits Horowhenua to find out who's filling the gaps and how they're doing it. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In this week's Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Mark Leishman about a much-reported recording of Wellington's mayor which made many headlines recently - but has not yet appeared in the real world. Also: a report into New Zealand's media landscape - and what will replace The Project in the 7pm current affairs slot on Three - and Dunedin set to lose its local TV news.In this week's Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Mark Leishman about a much-reported recording of Wellington's mayor which made many headlines recently - but has not yet appeared in the real world. Also: a report into New Zealand's media landscape - and what will replace The Project in the 7pm current affairs slot on Three - and and Dunedin set to lose its local TV news.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Five years ago Dr Merja Myllylahti warned our news media were becoming dangerously dependent on global digital platforms which gave them online audiences but undercut their income and didn't seem to care much about news. What's the story five years on? Five years ago Dr Merja Myllylahti warned our news media were becoming dangerously dependent on global digital platforms which gave them online audiences, but undercut their income and didn't seem to care much about news. What's the story five years on?Winston Peters made plenty of headlines with his claim the former government bribed the media with the $55m Public Interest Journalism Fund. The outgoing government had already backed away from the Fund before the election. Labour confirmed it wouldn't repeat or renew it if the party won. The long, loud backlash from those who reckoned that the fund did skew news coverage - even though it didn't - was one reason. But Labour's media spokesperson Willie Jackson also told a pre-election meeting the media wouldn't need that kind of a cash injection if another of his government's interventions worked out. The Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill prods online operators like Google and Facebook to cut financial deals with local media for the news that they've distributed for years for no cost."A huge amount of good journalists have all gone out the door... because these big companies come in, take everything and don't give anything back. If we get this bill through, we'll get a couple of hundred million bucks coming back into the market," Jackson told the Better Public Media pre-election debate. Two hundred million dollars a year is a very optimistic - even heroic - estimate of the revenue such bargaining might achieve. It's roughly the sum the deals struck with Google and Meta (owner of Facebook) in Australia are estimated to have netted in the first year after Australia's government forced the issue. But while it did bring big money into the media there, it's been a different story so far in Canada.Canada's Online News Act, also called Bill C-18, prompted Google to threaten to remove Canadian news from their search services last year and Meta briefly did so for Facebook and Instagram accounts. Last week Google agreed to pay a single Canadian collective which would then distribute the funds to the eligible news media agencies. …Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details