Mediawatch

As we wait for a new government, one election did deliver a clear-cut result this week - Forest and Bird's Bird of the Century poll. The winner had considerable offshore input thanks to a celebrity comedian's campaign which generated heaps of media exposure - but also some claims of media manipulation. As we wait for a new government, one election did deliver a clear-cut result this week - Forest...

Media campaign of the century; producers push for tax on streamers; the legacy of a 'true newspaperman'. This week, Mediawatch looks at producers putting pressure on the incoming government to tax the likes of Netflix and Amazon - and the legacy left by old-school newspaper editors. Also: as we wait for a new government, one election did deliver a clear-cut result this week Go to this episode on r...

Long-serving Southland Times editor Fred Tulett has died - leaving a legacy of more than 50 years in journalism in which he mentored many top journalists who followed in his footsteps. Long-serving Southland Times editor Fred Tulett has died - leaving a legacy of more than 50 years in journalism in which he mentored many top journalists who followed in his footsteps. On Wednesday last week the Sou...

In this week's edition of Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Mark Leishman about allegations of foreign interference in the Bird of the Century vote - and dubious concerns about the general election result. In this week's edition of Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Mark Leishman about allegations of foreign interference in the Bird of the Century vote - and dubious concern...

The news media see themselves as the eyes and ears of the public - but so far political leaders have mostly turned a deaf ear to their questions about forming the new government. How are they handling the silent treatment? The news media see themselves as the eyes and ears of the public - but so far political leaders have mostly turned a deaf ear to their questions about forming the new government...

Twitter emerged as an important source of live updates, news and images during the Arab Spring more than a decade ago. Many in the media also joined the platform to share news and commentary with users worldwide. But a year after Elon Musk took it over, 'X' is a mess - and a group of local users recently gathered to 'Bury the Bird' for good. Twitter emerged as an important source of live updates,...

This week Mediawatch looks at how the media have followed the formation of the next government going on behind closed doors. Also: a push to persuade policymakers to emulate Ireland's economy - and local media people lamenting the decline of what was the media's favourite social media platform, Twitter. This week Mediawatch looks at how the media have followed the formation of the next government...

Mediawatch - A business lobby group is urging New Zealand to emulate Ireland, which has a GDP twice as big as ours - but is the GDP picture warped? The incoming government wants to grow the economy and attract more foreign investment. A leading business lobby group is urging us to emulate Ireland, which had a GDP the same size as ours 30 years ago, but now has a GDP twice as big. The statistics ar...

Midweek Mediawatch - Colin Peacock talks to Mark Leishman about political reporters' ongoing efforts to get party leaders to talk about forming a new government and media companies' growing financial problems. Also - an opportunity for journalists honouring Brian Gaynor - and the UK press picks up on the controversial British TV star accused of 'colonising' a Tasman town. Midweek Mediawatch - Medi...

Protecting people who offer the media important information is a fundamental obligation for journalists. Chris Cooke quit TVNZ after it didn't keep a promise to Erin Leighton, whose off-the-record disclosures ended up being aired in court in the defence of her abusers. They're now pushing for a 'shield law' to ensure our media can guarantee confidentiality. Mediawatch - Protecting people who offer...

Rugby in recovery as a media spectacle; keeping it confidential to protect sources; Musk trashing Twitter. Mediawatch talks to a journalist calling for changes to ensure our media can properly protect their sources' confidentiality - and an expert in the US where the media enjoy stronger protection. Also - how anger over rugby's rules and referees ruining matches has created a headache f...

Anger about rules and referees ruining rugby matches ran for days in the media after last weekend's Rugby World Cup final. Players, pundits and even current national coaches have said the game is 'broken' and bad to watch. But billions ofdollars of media companies' money keep rugby going - so will the media fix it for fans? Anger about rules and referees ruining rugby matches ran for days in the m...

In this week's edition of Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Mark Leishman about a comparative lack of coverage on Gaza, sympathy for Supie's leaders even as their employees miss out, and a wake for the Twitter-that-was. Midweek Mediawatch - Mediawatch's weekly catch-up with Nights. This week Hayden Donnell talks to Mark Leishman about media coming under fire reporting the war in Gaz...

Major news media outfits have cut back in the regions in recent years. That doesn't just leave locals worse off - it also means all New Zealanders miss out on important ideas, events and perspectives. But even though the media's margins are tight, intrepid publishers and people are still doing the business there. Mediawatch checks in on Whanganui to find out how their media are doing - and how the...

Covering news from all over the country is a struggle for media companies dealing with rising costs and falling revenues. But some local outlets are surviving - and even thriving. Mediawatch's Hayden Donnel finds out who's doing the business in Whanganui - and how they're doing it. In a time when major media organisations are cutting back in the regions, reporters are thin on the ground and there&...

Midweek Mediawatch - Colin Peacock talks to Mark Leishman about the media's mounting problems covering the crisis in Gaza and Israel; TVNZ under pressure over compromised confidentiality; the PM talking policy on The Rock - and rugby pundits reacting badly to the way the World Cup's panned out. Midweek Mediawatch - Mediawatch's weekly catch-up with Nights. Colin Peacock talks to Mark Leishman...

Our new political leaders got off on the wrong foot this week with the political press pack by keeping them at arm's length over their negotiations to from the new government. Was this a genuine media freedom issue with the interests of the public at stake? Or just a bit of collective posturing to pressure the politicians? Our new political leaders got off on the wrong foot this week, with the pol...

Take me to your leader - political press pack gets off on wrong foot with our new political leaders; media in the middle of Gaza claims and counterclaims; World Cup fever - and Irish anguish. Mediawatch looks at how media organisations are copping criticism for the way they are reporting the Gaza-Israel conflict - and asks a BBC news boss how he's handling it. Also: our political reporters go...

Major media organisations all over the world are copping criticism for the way they're reporting what's happening in Gaza and Israel. Mediawatch asks BBC news boss Jonathan Munro how they're handling it - even when it's coming from the UK's own government. Major media organisations all over the world are copping criticism for the way they're reporting what's happening in Gaza and Israel....

Midweek Mediawatch - Hayden Donnell talks to Mark Leishman about how media handled the claims and counter-claims that followed the deadliest incident yet in the Gaza conflict. Also - friction between the press pack and PM preparing to form the next government - and rugby pundits ripping their Irish peers after last weekend's World Cup quarter final . . . with the benefit of hindsight. Midweek Medi...

Mediawatch looks back on how the media covered a long, long campaign - and how election night played out across the media after the polls finally closed on Saturday. Hayden Donnell in Auckland - and special guest Robbie Nicol (host of RNZ's politics series The Citizens Handbook) joined Colin Peacock for live RNZ National election coverage special on Sunday morning. Mediawatch looks back on how the...

Midweek Mediawatch - Colin Peacock talks to Mark Leishman about minor parties under the microscope and more heated head-to-head election debates. Also: and the horror in Israel/Gaza gives media a dilemma - and Rachel Smalley vs Pharmac. Midweek Mediawatch - Mediawatch's weekly catch-up with Nights. Colin Peacock talks to Mark Leishman about minor parties under the microscope and more heated h...

This week political reporters seized on fresh figures showing the National Party overstated the benefits of its tax cut policy - and accused its leaders of misleading the public. Yet some of them had repeated the party's spin in their own reports when it was unveiled a month ago - and even praised the 'political marketing. This week political reporters seized on fresh figures showing the National...

After seven decades up to his neck in media - and having a profound and world wide influence on them - now nonagenarian mega mogul Rupert Murdoch's starting up the succession plan for his empire. Or is he? We ask an Australian expert who wrote all about this ten years ago when one of Murdoch's biggest companies was mired in an epic scandal, he'd just been divorced and it looked like the succession...

The media have been a political football this year - and now some politicians are complaining the media are against them in this election. But hundreds of millions of dollars of public money is spent on media each year - so what do the political parties plan for the media if they're in power? The media have been a political football this year - and now some politicians are complaining the media ar...