Mediawatch

Gore blimey - a little local political difficulty pulls national media focus; Politicians seeking platforms for political reveals. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

In this week's Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Mark Leishman about coverage putting the Loafers Lodge disaster in context - even in the midst of chaos and confusion, some impressive political fact-checking, whether the media needs to change tack reporting economists' forecasts - and an exclusive interview with a party-swapping MP which wasn't hard to get.In this week's Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Mark Leishman about coverage putting the Loafers Lodge disaster in context - even in the midst of chaos and confusion, some impressive political fact-checking, whether the media needs to change tack reporting economists' forecasts - and an exclusive interview with a party-swapping MP which wasn't hard to get.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Some in the media learned the lessons of Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods, just as the emergency management authorities have done - and they made a concerted effort to take this week's weather warnings seriously. Others, not so much.Some in the media learned the lessons of Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods, just as the emergency management authorities have done - and they made a concerted effort to take this week's weather warnings seriously. Others, not so much. As a storm struck on Tuesday, Newstalk ZB host Simon Barnett opened the phone lines for callers to deliver on-the-ground weather updates from around the country.Among them was a truck driver who gave him an eye-witness update on the road conditions in Waikato, along with a colourful description of the driving conditions. "The weather down here's shocking. It's starting to flood. It's diabolical," the caller said."Some of them guys are driving to the conditions. And there's some guys driving like idiots, as per usual."Barnett's news you could use approach stood in contrast with how some hosts from his network handled the last weather disaster to strike the country - Cyclone Gabrielle. Back then, Newstalk's breakfast host Mike Hosking and his wife, early morning presenter Kate Hawkesby, pooh- poohed what they saw as overblown weather warnings. "What we've done is whip ourselves into this extraordinary frenzy," Hosking said."We panic," Hawkesby replied."We're almost in a state now where we want to be told what to do all the time, and we almost enjoy it where it's like 'hunker down, don't go to school, don't go to work'."They were joined in their jeering by Newstalk's mid-morning host Kerre Woodham, who bemoaned the timidity of Auckland schools that decided to close for the day."What message does this send to our children? Yet again their education must be sacrificed for the greater good, be it Covid, be it floods, be it cyclones - there are greater priorities than education," she said.It turned out Cyclone Gabrielle was a big deal. It killed 11 people, cut off whole towns, and damaged and wrecked hundreds of homes.Newstalk received formal complaints about its hosts minimising the unfolding disaster, even as the station billed itself as an official source of news updates and Civil Defence information. …Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

US-based NewsGuard is rating New Zealand's significant news sites for reliability - and even preparing 'nutrition labels' to warn users to treat them with caution. NewsGuard is also using human journalists to train generative AI innovations like ChatGPT to minimise the potential for misinformation-spreading on an epic scale. US-based NewsGuard is rating New Zealand's significant news sites for reliability - and even preparing 'nutrition labels' to warn users to treat them with caution. NewsGuard is also using human journalists to train generative AI innovations like ChatGPT to minimise the potential for misinformation-spreading on an epic scale. The revelation that three potential terror attacks since March 15 2019 had been thwarted made headlines recently when the bosses of our spy agencies reported back to Parliament.But the acting boss of the SIS also told MPs malign foreign influence had been brought to bear on New Zealanders online. Phil McKee named no names or nations, but his GCSB counterpart Andrew Hampton did when he said Kiwis were consuming misinformation from Russia. "We're not a social media censorship agency," the prime minister said when asked what the government should do about that. "The GCSB can identify where misinformation is coming into the country from - but what people choose to share on social media are matters for each individual to make decisions about," he said. A week later the latest AUT annual survey of New Zealanders' trust in news revealed 86 percent of respondents said they were concerned about fake news on the internet. But do online users know which sources of news they should believe? It's an international problem. In March 2018 two former US editors tired of watching fake news proliferate - and the pushers of it profit - started NewsGuard to identify outlets hosting and spreading misinformation. One was Steven Brill, the founder of Court TV and Brill's Content magazine among other ventures."We're going to solve that problem using - guess what? - human beings," Brill said on CNN when announcing the hiring of a team of journalists. Two years later NewsGuard began to turn a profit and operated in in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Austria and Italy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1PQbLK7vPYAustralia's communications minister Michelle Rowland recently announced that the regulator there would enact an enforceable code against online misinformation if the media industry didn't enforce its own. And the same week, NewsGuard expanded its scrutiny to online news in Australia and New Zealand too…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Safe or sorry? Some still shrugging off storm warnings; an offshore outfit rating reliability of our news - and trying to train the AI chatbots; angst over not-so-Super Rugby on screen. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Midweek sports bulletins and commentaries declared that a former All Blacks coach had "slammed" modern rugby and declared it "unwatchable," prompting push-back from current All Blacks about changing the rules and refereeing. But Wayne Smith didn't quite condemn the state of the nation game in the way some reports would have you believe. Midweek sports bulletins and commentaries declared that a former All Blacks coach had "slammed" modern rugby and declared it "unwatchable," prompting push-back from current All Blacks about changing the rules and refereeing. But Wayne Smith didn't quite condemn the state of the nation game in the way some reports would have you believe. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Midweek Mediawatch - Mediawatch's weekly catch-up with Nights. Colin Peacock talks to Mark Leishman about criticism of the Coronation coverage - and the PM grilled by the BBC on republicanism and sausage rolls. Also - RNZ releases critical comments from a minister; and a new radio station and podcasts emerge from the closure of talk station Today FM. Midweek Mediawatch - Mediawatch's weekly catch-up with Nights.Colin Peacock talks to Mark Leishman about criticism of the Coronation coverage - and the PM grilled by the BBC on republicanism and sausage rolls. Also - RNZ releases critical comments from a minister; and a new radio station and podcasts emerge from the closure of talk station Today FM. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The Coronation this weekend was an historic event that anointed a new head of state for us for the first time in 70 years - and also a made-for-media spectacle that captivated broadcasters. After the death of QE2 last year, pundits predicted a debate about cutting ties with the Crown would follow, but the media have shown little appetite for it. The Coronation this weekend was an historic event that anointed a new head of state for us for the first time in 70 years - and also a made-for-media spectacle that captivated broadcasters.After the death of Queen Elizabeth II last year, pundits predicted a debate about cutting ties with the Crown would follow, but the media have shown little appetite for it. Last Monday, Morning Report listeners heard from royalty fan Barbara Larsen about how much she was looking forward to the Coronation. She has collected royal stuff since she was a child which now lines the walls of her house in New Plymouth. TVNZ this week was certainly banking on New Zealanders wanting wall-to-wall royalty this past week. The state-owned broadcaster - which turned down an invitation to air the state memorial service for Queen Elizabeth II last year - began last Wednesday night with last year's Royal Variety Command Performance on TVNZ1 (though Coronation Street on after that was just a coincidence). Then on Friday there was a King Charles Special of The Repair Shop; followed by My King Charles III - billed as "a uniquely intimate picture of the man behind the crown" - and then King Charles III: A New Era - billed as a "ground-breaking and moving documentary" including a never-before-seen interview with his former butler. TVNZ kicked off the coverage at 10am on Coronation Saturday itself, with another big gig: The Platinum Party at the Palace. After that, TVNZ1 showed a documentary called Fergie & Meghan: Inconvenient Royals before Catherine Our Queen in Waiting, a profile of the Princess of Wales.That was followed by Charles and the Women Who Could Have Been Queen which was all about Charles' search for a bride down the years - including the one who is now Her Majesty.Then At 7pm, TVNZ news hosts Melissa Stokes and Daniel Faitaua took over joining the BBC's coverage from London later on. For those wanting an alternative to TVNZ's Their Majesties' Coronation, Three offered The Coronation of their Majesties on Saturday night, also hooking in to coverage from the BBC. …Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The Coronation - constitutional conundrum or just a king-size media spectacle?; political defection takes media by surprise.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Te Pāti Māori livestreams from local marae don't usually attract much mainstream media interest. But the defection of government minister Meka Whaitiri on Wednesday was carried by every major outlet after Whakaata Māori's late-night scoop sparked a media scramble. It also created a "constitutional cluster" that needed clarity.Te Pāti Māori livestreams from local marae don't usually attract much mainstream media interest. But the defection of government minister Meka Whaitiri on Wednesday was carried by every major outlet after Whakaata Maori's late-night scoop sparked a media scramble. It also created a "constitutional cluster" that needed clarity. Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details