Mediawatch

Colin Peacock talked to Emile Donovan about the sudden and startling news of Newshub's impending demise in a 'proposal' from the global owner. Also: is it wrong for journalists to use 'big tech' tools to scrub the sound of real people from reports - or bum notes at the Superbowl?Midweek Mediawatch - Mediawatch's weekly catch-up with Nights. Colin Peacock talked to Emile Donovan about the sudden and startling news of Newshub's impending demise in a 'proposal' from the global owner. Also: is it wrong for journalists to use 'big tech' tools to scrub the sound of real people from reports - or bum notes at the Superbowl? Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The PM's State of the Nation speech got the media's attention when he said welfare needs reform. He didn't mention record-level immigration but that's also been deemed unsustainable and set for a reset too. What did the media tell about these problems - and what's at stake?The prime minister's State of the Nation speech got the media's attention when he said welfare needs reform. He didn't mention record-level immigration but that's also been deemed unsustainable and set for a reset too. What did the media tell about these problems - and what's at stake?In his State of the Nation speech last Sunday the prime minister described Kiwis today as resourceful, reasonable and resilient - but the country as fractured, fragile and lacking lost mojo. But the pundits mostly agreed the new prime minister found his mojo. "Yesterday's speech was good. Better still was the presentation: Luxon sounded like a normal person," Stuff's Andrea Vance said in The Post on Monday. That made the paper's front page under the headline 'Who de-programmed Luxon?'The same day, BusinessDesk's Pattrick Smellie was also wondering. "Christopher Luxon has looked for a while like a man in need of a decent speechwriter. His State of the Nation speech suggests either that one has been found - or Luxon is starting to find his voice as prime minister. Or possibly both"Smellie also reckoned Luxon came across as a "bit of a scold" when repeatedly highlighting our "fragility" and the need for "tough love"." was him giving the country a bit of a boot up the backside. And let's be honest, we all need that from time to time," TVNZ's Maiki Sherman told 1 News viewers last Monday. But not everyone was feeling Luxon's boot. Zeroing in on welfare 'blowout' "We got a lot of talk about beneficiaries. And they were told that the free ride was over. And then in the end, there was an admission to reporters that the government has yet to explain how it would address and finance the solution to our woes," Newstalk ZB Afternoon host Andrew Dickens told listeners."Choosing to make it the centrepiece of the post-Cabinet press conference was more about pure political theatre. But the fact it was largely theatre does not mean it is not good politics," said New Zealand Herald political editor Claire Trevett the same day. …Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Last week the great and good of New Zealand's news media urged MPs to back a law change to make Google and Facebook pay them for their news. They say the income could be critical to the survival of journalism here. But the lobby group campaigning for better public media says there's a better way to 'send a lifeboat'. Last week, the great and good of New Zealand's news media urged MPs to back a law change to make Google and Facebook pay them for their news. They say the income could be critical to the survival of journalism here. But the lobby group campaigning for better public media says there's a better way to 'send a lifeboat'. Last week, the nation's news media publishers pitched up in Parliament to make a pitch to MPs to pass the legislation left behind by the Labour government that would effectively compel big tech companies who carry their news online to pay them for it. After the Economic Development, Science and Innovation select committee heard them out, Media and Communications Minister Melissa Lee told reporters she doesn't support the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill "in its current form" but would wait to see what the Committee recommends.So did the prime minister on Newstalk ZB last Monday. "I just think media companies can do their own individual deals with those tech platforms - as your umbrella organisation NZME and others have as well," he told Mike Hosking. Google has done several individual deals since 2021 to carry local publishers' news in its own service Google News Showcase. But the Ashburton Guardian's Daryl Holden told the committee it was "a pittance"."We accepted the deal from a position of no strength. I'm almost embarrassed to say how much we get because it would not be enough to hire one graduate journalist," he told the Economic Development, Science and Innovation committee. He was far from the only one to tell the Committee last week the imbalance of power in the market is such that they can't get the tech titans to negotiate a genuine value for their news. That's the reason that the News Publishers Association went to the Commerce Commission for permission to negotiate collectively - and the former government put the Bill forward in the first place. The prime minister was also right about the Herald's owner NZME doing a deal with Facebook owner Meta, which has been much more reluctant to negotiate with local media. But NZME chief executive Michael Boggs told MPs last week it won't last long. "Meta has not renewed after a year because I think they think this (Bill) isn't going to happen," he said. …Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Government 'resets' immigration and welfare; making Google and Facebook pay for journalism; media hype around Kiwi Swifties' stadium FOMO; challenges in news media sector; controversy over Taylor Swift concert in New Zealand venues

As the biggest pop star on the planet packed out huge Australian arenas this week, the media here milked Kiwi Swifties' anger over missing out. It also aired confusing blame-game claims about why Swift gave New Zealand a swerve in the first place - and where the big gigs might be held in future. As the biggest pop star on the planet packed out huge Australian arenas this week, the media here milked Kiwi Swifties' anger over missing out. It also aired confusing blame-game claims about why Swift gave New Zealand a swerve in the first place - and where the big gigs might be held in future. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Hayden Donnell talks to Emile Donovan about the death of Efeso Collins, big conclusions drawn from conflicting polls - and the problems with an old media adage.In this week's edition of Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Emile Donovan about the death of Efeso Collins, big conclusions drawn from conflicting polls, and the problems with an old media adage.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Media bosses warned MPs this week journalism is in jeopardy here if they don't back a Bill making offshore tech giants pay for news carried on Facebook and Google. It's based on laws already in place in Australia and Canada. Mediawatch asks the ex-editor leading the publishers' pitch how it might work.Media bosses warned MPs this week journalism is in jeopardy here if they don't back a Bill making offshore tech giants pay for news carried on Facebook and Google. It's based on laws already in place in Australia and Canada. Mediawatch asks the ex-editor leading the publishers' pitch how it might work.It's not uncommon to find anguished articles in the media about the perilous state of the news media business these days - both here and overseas. The New Yorker published a grim essay last weekend under the headline Is the Media Prepared for an Extinction-Level Event?Author Claire Malone said the expert predicting 'extinction' had cited the prospect of Google rolling out A.I.-integrated search tools. If Google's A.I. interface answers routine search queries itself rather than referring users to the online sources of news and information it could be devastating for media websites, he said. "We are witnessing nothing less than the end of the mass-media era," media analyst Brian Morrissey said."Clinging to scraps of hope" was how New Yorker writer Claire Moloney summed up the prospects for news media companies. The owner of the biggest publisher of news in New Zealand echoed that in Parliament on Thursday before a committee considering the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill.Stuff owner Sinead Boucher said the advent of generative AI looked "increasingly like an extinction-level event" for news publications. Journalism here "is in a fight for its life" and "clinging on by its fingertips . . . against some of history's biggest companies," she said.The FNDB Bill is a tool to pressure Google and Facebook owner Meta to pay NZ news media companies for the local news and content they carry on their lucrative online platforms. Their success in the past twenty years has come at the cost of local media. They have lost the lion's share of their ad revenue to Google and Facebook while at the same time becoming more dependent on them to reach an audience online. Australia's government reacted with legislation to force the tech titans to do deals with news publishers if they didn't hammer out their own deals by themselves. The process was fraught, but a bargaining code is now putting millions of dollars back into Australian news publishers. …Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A Herald headline this week said Auckland Transport was 'pushing on with $500,000 crossings'. The apparently outrageous expense was also aired on radio and in Parliament as evidence of the urgent need to reprioritise. But AT said the true cost was a fraction of what was reported. A Herald headline this week said Auckland Transport was 'pushing on with $500,000 crossings'. The apparently outrageous expense was also aired on radio and in Parliament as evidence of the urgent need to reprioritise. But AT said the true cost was a fraction of what was reported. Transport Minister Simeon Brown had an attack line pre-loaded when he stood to defend his government's decision to drop the Auckland regional fuel tax in Parliament on Tuesday."This is all about the cost of living for Aucklanders," he said. "If someone's driving a Hilux they'll save around $9 every time they fill up their car. Someone who's driving a Corolla - around $5. And that's money that won't be funding $500,000 speed bumps in Auckland."$500k "speed bumps" - or, as some call them, raised pedestrian crossings - may have been on his mind after that morning's New Zealand Herald. Its page three lead by Super City reporter Bernard Orsman ran under the headline 'AT pushes on with project building $500,000 crossings'.The story focused on Auckland Transport's plan to build 29 new pedestrian crossings as part of some street upgrades in the suburbs of Point Chevalier and Westmere.It was the latest in a series of reports from Orsman raising hackles about costly crossings, including one in Three Kings that had to be built, ripped up, and rebuilt at a cost of $600k and another on Williamson Ave in Ponsonby where unexpected stormwater issues pushed the price tag rise to $490k.Another report noted that AT is installing 27 signalised crossings over two years at a cost of $12.7 million, or about 0.6% of its annual capital budget of $1.1 billion.But none of the 28 pedestrian crossings in question cost anything like $500k. The estimated cost of the crossings was between $19,000 and $31,000 each.AT confirmed to Mediawatch - and others - that the real cost of the crossings in question had been provided to the Herald before its publication date.But the story repeatedly referenced the high cost of some past crossings without quoting the comparatively piddly price of the 29 planned for Westmere and Point Chevalier.The story was republished by RNZ and on Facebook, where the high cost of crossings generated a flood of mostly angry comments…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Discussions on Auckland's transport issues and the push for new laws for tech giants to pay for news. Mayor defending transport projects, controversy over cost estimates, and legislation for fair news bargaining. Challenges in news publishing negotiation with tech giants, government funding for journalism, and insights on AI in the news market.

Colin Peacock talked to Emile Donovan about the Port Hills fire prompting another state of emergency; questions posed by two awkward interviews with political leaders - and the retail rat-astrophe in our supermarkets that suddenly surged to the top of the news agenda. Midweek Mediawatch: Colin Peacock talked to Emile Donovan about the Port Hills fire prompting another state of emergency; questions posed by two awkward interviews with political leaders - and the retail rat-astrophe in supermarkets that suddenly surged to the top of the news agenda.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details