Mediawatch

Stuff deploys AI for DIY news

16 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Mediawatch for 17 March 2024

16 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What will government do about the great TV news meltdown?; Stuff deploys AI for DIY news.TV news and current affairs are still in the balance at two b...

Midweek: Manic Monday for news & fake photo frenzy

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Colin Peacock talks to Emile Donovan about a manic Monday afternoon of news - cricket, Oscars, terror in the skies... and the post-Cabinet media confe...

Mediawatch for 10 March 2024

09 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

TVNZ has proposed big cuts to news that could leave the country with only one daily TV news bulletin and almost no current affairs on TV within weeks....

Midweek: It's the end of the news as we know it?

06 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hayden Donnell talks to Emile Donovan about job cuts looming at TVNZ as its crosstown rival Newshub faces a shut-down. Also: coverage of Chris Luxon's...

Apocalypse now?

02 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For years news media bosses warned the creaking business model backing journalism would fail at a major local outlet. It finally happened this week wh...

Three no longer a hub for news

02 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Warner Bros. Discovery's decision to shut down Newshub was met with mourning within the media - and also concern about what could replace it in the me...

TVNZ's losses point to media-wide strife

01 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Mediawatch: TVNZ's latest losses signal likely cuts to come. But it's the slump in income for the broadcaster that dominates free-to-air TV which will...

Midweek: Newshub's brutal 'proposal'

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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: i...

Welfare and immigration set for a 'reset'

24 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

A lifeboat to keep news afloat?

24 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Milking Kiwi Swifties' FOMO

24 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 als...

Mediawatch for 25 February 2024

24 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Government 'resets' immigration and welfare; another way to make Google and Facebook to pay for journalism; media milk Kiwi Swifties' stadium FOMO. Go...

Midweek: A clash of polls

21 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hayden Donnell talks to Emile Donovan about the death of Efeso Collins, big conclusions drawn from conflicting polls - and the problems with an old m...

MPs urged to take sides in media vs big tech tussle

17 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 Faceboo...

$500k Auckland pedestrian crossing costs quietly corrected

17 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A Herald headline this week said Auckland Transport was 'pushing on with $500,000 crossings'. The apparently outrageous expense was also aired on radi...

Mediawatch for 18 February 2024

17 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Auckland's transport turmoil reports lack full facts; publishers pitch to Parliament to make Google and Facebook pay for their news.Auckland's tr...

Midweek: Retail rat-astrophe & awkward interviews

14 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Colin Peacock talked to Emile Donovan about the Port Hills fire prompting another state of emergency; questions posed by two awkward interviews with p...

Waitangi tensions test politicians - and the media

10 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In past years some media outlets were ambivalent about Waitangi Day - some even hostile at times. But new moves by the new government and a strong pus...

Mediawatch for 11 February 2024

10 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Waitangi tensions test politicians - and the media; Why is Sky screening more top-dollar sport for free?Mediawatch looks at how the media covered this...

Why Sky is screening some of its top-dollar sport for free

10 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sky TV became the big beast of pay TV by keeping a stranglehold on exclusive live rights to the country's most popular sports for paying subscribers. ...

Midweek: Copy-and-paste Chris

07 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hayden Donnell talks to Emile Donovan about Chris Luxon being harangued by the media for copy-and-pasting his Waitangi Day speech, an eye-opening colu...

Does bad economic news trump good news?

03 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Stories about surging inflation, successive food price rises and more Kiwis in arrears topped bulletins and filled front pages last year. But recent n...

Todd Scott - taking a punt at NBR

03 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's more than a decade since Todd Scott staked everything to buy the business news weekly where he worked, the National Business Review. Since then N...

With one last hurrah, goneburger is goneburger

03 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When James Shaw tweeted "James Shaw goneburger" it was the zenith of one political reporter's eight-year effort to goneburger every departing politici...

Mediawatch for 4 February 2024

03 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week on Mediawatch, does bad news about the economy trump good news? The end of the line for goneburger? Mediawatch looks at whether bad economi...

Midweek: RNZ shuffles its pack

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Colin Peacock talked to Emile Donovan about just-announced changes to RNZ National's schedule and an RNZ news story last weekend which prompted compla...

Media cop flak over MP’s startling downfall 

27 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The summer holidays are usually a dead zone for domestic political news - but the unseasonal and unexpected downfall of Golriz Ghahraman bucked the tr...

Water woes flood silly season as news runs dry

27 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Mediawatch for 28 January 2024

27 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What you missed over summer: harmless sharks, woke worries, sewage smells and water woes flood the holiday news drought; media cop flak for coverage o...

Midweek: Hōhā over hui coverage

24 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hayden Donnell talks to Emile Donovan about accusations of bias over media commentary on the national hui at Tūrangawaewae marae and the media respon...

The Mediawatch Christmas bonus

23 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 editi...

Midweek Mediawatch - 2023 Awards

20 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Midweek Mediawatch - Mediawatch's weekly catch-up with Nights. Hayden Donnell and Colin Peacock joined Mark Leishman to hand out Mediawatch's not very...

Mediawatch for 17 December 2020 - Horowhenua special

16 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Covering news all over the country is a struggle for media companies dealing with rising costs and falling income. But some local outlets are survivin...

Midweek Mediawatch - The case of the missing mayoral footage

13 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Mark Leishman about a much-reported recording of Wellington's mayor which made many headlin...

From paper to platform - media's online dependence

09 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Five years ago Dr Merja Myllylahti warned our news media were becoming dangerously dependent on global digital platforms which gave them online audien...

Mediawatch for 10 December 2023

09 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Parliamentary pomp and ceremony - but no honeymoon; 'From Paper to Platform'- media's online dependence; Todd Niall - local matters really matter Go t...

Todd Niall - local matters really matter

09 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

'Look ahead, not back' - the last words of Todd Niall after 46 years in daily journalism. The last of these were spent reporting the complicated and h...

Midweek Mediawatch ‘Kin oath’ - new Parliament sworn in

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Midweek Mediawatch - Mediawatch's weekly catch-up with Nights. Colin Peacock talked to Mark Leishman about the new government getting underway with pl...

Mayor under pressure after rumour-based reports

02 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Wellington's mayor is under pressure after acknowledging an alcohol problem. Her admission was prompted by media questions about drunken 'antics' base...

Claims of media 'bribery' derail new government on day one

02 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It didn't take long for Winston Peters' news media grievances to make headlines - and headaches - for the new government. Mediawatch looks at how the ...

Mediawatch for 3 December 2023

02 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Claims of media 'bribery' derail new government on day one; politics shows off air just as politics hots up; mayor under pressure after rumour-based r...

Midweek Mediawatch: Winston's war

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's edition of Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Mark Leishman about Winston Peters' war with the media, a new streaming app for ...

Not the greatest story ever told

25 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The three political coalition partners finally sealed the deal on Friday, bringing to an end more than 40 days of limbo - and Shane Jones' biblical qu...

Watchdog warns media laws need urgent upgrade

25 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The chief of the country's most powerful media watchdog says we need new laws now to hold media to account in future. The outgoing government had a pl...

Music journalism all but vanishes from our media

25 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week the country's biggest arts funding agency published a plan to boost coverage of culture which has been dwindling in our media. Music reviews...

Mediawatch for 26 November 2023

25 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Parties seal the coalition deal to end long limbo for media; watchdog warns media laws need urgent upgrade; media tuning out of music journalism; Covi...

Midweek Mediawatch - Are we there yet? No . . .

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Midweek Mediawatch - Mediawatch's weekly catch-up with Nights. Colin Peacock talks to Mark Leishman about the ongoing process of forming a new governm...

Producers pressure government to tax Netflix and co

18 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week the people who make the local stuff for our screens big and small urged the powers-that-be to tax the likes of Netflix and Disney Plus to fu...

Media campaign of the century?

18 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 co...

Mediawatch for 19 November 2023

18 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Media campaign of the century; producers push for tax on streamers; the legacy of a 'true newspaperman'.This week, Mediawatch looks at producers putti...

'True newspaperman' Fred Tulett leaves a legacy

18 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 journali...

Midweek Mediawatch - feathers fly over election outcomes

16 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's edition of Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Mark Leishman about allegations of foreign interference in the Bird of the Centu...

Three bananas and a coalition cauliflower

11 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Burying the Bird - is trashed Twitter facing extinction?

11 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

Are the Irish twice as rich as us?

11 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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? Th...

Mediawatch for 12 November 2023

11 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 persuad...

Midweek Mediawatch 8 November 2023

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Midweek Mediawatch - Colin Peacock talks to Mark Leishman about political reporters' ongoing efforts to get party leaders to talk about forming a new ...

Keeping it confidential to properly protect sources

04 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Protecting people who offer the media important information is a fundamental obligation for journalists. Chris Cooke quit TVNZ after it didn't keep a ...

Mediawatch for 5 November 2023

04 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rugby in recovery as a media spectacle; keeping it confidential to protect sources; Musk trashing Twitter. Mediawatch talks to a journalist calling fo...

Rugby in recovery as a media spectacle

04 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 c...

Midweek Mediawatch - Gaps in Gaza coverage

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Whanganui - What we miss when we miss out on local news

28 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 mis...

Mediawatch for 29 October 2023

28 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 s...

Midweek Mediawatch - screwing the scrum

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Midweek Mediawatch - Colin Peacock talks to Mark Leishman about the media's mounting problems covering the crisis in Gaza and Israel; TVNZ under press...

Take me to your leader

21 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Mediawatch for 22 October 2023

21 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 countercla...

Media in the middle of Gaza claims and counterclaims

21 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Midweek Mediawatch - PM's parlour game claim peeves press pack

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Midweek Mediawatch - Hayden Donnell talks to Mark Leishman about how media handled the claims and counter-claims that followed the deadliest incident ...

Mediawatch special - campaign culminates in a 'bluenami'

14 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 clos...

Midweek Mediawatch - major scrutiny for minor parties

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Midweek Mediawatch - Colin Peacock talks to Mark Leishman about minor parties under the microscope and more heated head-to-head election debates. Als...

Media shift blame for misleading tax policy headlines

07 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week political reporters seized on fresh figures showing the National Party overstated the benefits of its tax cut policy - and accused its leade...

Murdoch's real life succession becomes reality

07 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

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 st...

What are the political parties' plans for media?

07 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The media have been a political football this year - and now some politicians are complaining the media are against them in this election. But hundred...

Mediawatch for 8 October 2023

07 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Media shift blame for misleading tax policy headlines; political parties' policies for the media; Rupert Murdoch steps down and starts up the successi...

Midweek Mediawatch - a sacred shield soiled

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's edition of Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Mark Leishman about an outcry over the soiling of the sacred Ranfurly Shield, a ...

Giving young people an election voice

30 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The TVNZ Young Voters' debate run by Re:News was a rowdy interjection into what had been a relatively subdued election campaign. Its moderator has som...

Mediawatch for 1 October 2023

30 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The undecided could decide the election; giving youth a voice in the election; ZB's 'straight talking' subscribers' service.Mediawatch looks at how th...

A new paid-platform for news and opinion

30 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A new subscriber service offering "straight talking" reporting and opinion was launched this week by talk radio network Newstalk ZB. Owner NZME has se...

Midweek Mediawatch - The state of debates

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Midweek Mediawatch - Colin Peacock talked to Mark Leishman about the ever-growing volume of election campaign coverage - and the latest TV (and off-TV...

Debate stalemates fuel election fatigue

23 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The election campaign went up a gear in the media this week as party leaders lined up on live TV for the first time. But while the public tuned in in ...

Current and future state of Stuff

23 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Three years ago Sinead Boucher took over the country's biggest publisher of news from Aussie owners who gave it away "like a set of steak knives." In ...

Mediawatch for 24 September 2023

23 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Debate statemates add to election frustration; the current and future state of Stuff; some good - but overdue - news for Dunedin.Mediawatch looks at t...

Midweek Mediawatch: A game of two Chrises

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's edition of Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Mark Leishman about the first live TV leaders' debate of the election campaign a...

Un-spun numbers don't derail duelling versions of the economy

16 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update lifted the lid on the nation's finances this week - and Treasury's projections for the foreseeable future....

Stuff keeps Open AI at arm's length

16 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

New Zealand's biggest publisher of news this week joined big global names in blocking Open AI from using its content to power generative artificial in...

Mediawatch for 17 September 2023

16 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Un-spun numbers don't derail duelling versions of the economy; Stuff keeps AI at arm's length; medical school row - and a made-up university.Mediawatc...

Midweek Mediawatch - dogs on a plane & sporting flops

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Midweek Mediawatch - Colin Peacock talks to Mark Leishman about the coverage of two huge disasters in North Africa; a little local political difficult...

AI coming ready or not for our news and music 

09 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Business is booming in artificial intelligence technology and new applications appear in the news almost daily. At an AUT symposium this week, experts...

Advocacy angst as campaign begins - officially

09 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Herald copped criticism for publishing a front-page attack ad targeting the National Party leader this week - but it was far from the first time a...

Mediawatch for 10 September 2023

09 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Angst over advocacy adverts and content as official election period begins; AI - coming ready or not for news and music.Go to this episode on rnz.co.n...

Midweek Mediawatch: The return of the octopus

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's edition of Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Mark Leishman about National's attempt to weather a storm of journalistic scruti...

Horse race journalism as National takes aim at squeezed middle

02 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As National announced its long-awaited tax plan, some journalists took a hard look at its numbers, while others focused more on political strategy and...

Mediawatch for 3 September 2023

02 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mongrel and maths collide as campaigns launch - and media ponder National's tax plan; scrutiny of candidates' online footprints prompts pushback and c...

Scrutiny of candidates prompts pushback and claims of 'agendas'

02 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Scrutiny of political parties' policies intensified this week - and so did the scrutiny of some candidates for seats in Parliament. When TVNZ reported...

Midweek Mediawatch - Spain's football boss (& mum) v the world

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Midweek Mediawatch - Colin Peacock talks to Mark Leishman about the strange saga sparked by the sexist behaviour of Spain's football chief at the Wome...

Brought to you by . . . 'partners'

26 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It's meant to be clear what's advertising and what isn't, but 'sponsored content' and 'native advertising' blurred that line a long time ago. Now some...

Mediawatch for 27 August 2023

26 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Brought to you by 'partners' - critics question sponsorship deals pushing clients' content into news media; IMANZ - a new umbrella body for independen...

Low-key reveal of law to make big tech pay for news

26 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Long-awaited legislation to force big tech platforms to pay New Zealand media for the news they disseminate online is now before Parliament. It could ...

Midweek Mediawatch - polling death spiral & sandwich slump

23 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's edition of Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Mark Leishman about a dire poll for Labour raising the spectre of a media-driven...