Mediawatch

There's never a shortage of opinions on the media but Mediawatch looks at it all in detail for those keen to know more about the news - as well as those who work in media.

Hosted and produced by Colin Peacock and Hayden Donnell

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Two towns’ news under pressure, copyrights and wrongs

The tale of two towns which face losing their local news. Also: a bid to change the law so parody and satire doesn’t run the risk of breaking it - and clear up who owns digital media.
New episode
Westport News reports its own struggle to retain crucial advertising from the local council.

Tiriti talk, TJ’s haka, funding for factual stuff in 2025

Midweek - Treaty Principles Bill and TJ Perenara’s controversial haka stir debate; the latest public funding for current affairs and journalism and Three's local stuff for 2025.
TJ Perenara, centre, leads the All Blacks haka ahead of their rugby test against Italy in Turin. November 2024.

Hīkoi hōhā, news deserts fears, deep-dive deep-pocket podcast

This week’s Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti harvested heaps of headlines, hours of airtime and piles of print and pixels - media copped plenty of criticism for the coverage. Also: a deep-dive podcast that needed deep pockets - and warnings of ‘news deserts’ here.
The Herald's front page the day Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti arrived in Wellington.

Midweek - Hīkoi bias claims, Herald v Bain privacy, mag strife

Midweek - Accusations of bias and a lack of impartiatality in coverage of Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti. Also the Herald v David Bain, Facebook scam surge and problems for local magazines.
The hikoi against the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill reaches Parliament.

Reporter's ban from Crown apology; local papers on the block

Why was an award-winning journalist dedicated to reporting abuse in state care briefly banned from the official apology for that this week? Also - NZME plans to close 14 local North Island papers, possibly leaving some towns without coverage.
Signs from protestors sit outside Parliament during the apology for abuse in state care

Hikoi hits the road, news cuts, foreign football flashpoint

Midweek - Hikoi hits the road; Seymour vs TVNZ; TV news cuts latest and how sketchy reports of a foreign football flashpoint sparked a diplomatic incident.
A supporter waves a Palestinian flag in front of Police officers from Mobile Unit (ME) during a pro-Palestinian demonstration on the sideline of the UEFA Europa League football match between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv, in Amsterdam on 7 November 2024.

Trump triumph and the media message, Australia & Malaysia rein in social media

“It’s their media world now. We just live in it” - what news media are taking away from the Trump triumph; Media message from Trump’s triumph, how Australia and Malaysia are making social media accountable for the content they carry
The ABC's 4 Corners show investigates the impact of social media in the week the Australian government announced new restrictions.

Midweek: He's back

Midweek: the epic media coverage of an epic US election that's put Trump back in charge. Also - more grim news from TVNZ; and warnings from Crux and NZ Geographic
New York Times needle tells it like it is.

Stuff boss joins ginger group, NZ Geographic’s bold survival strategy

Could the boss of the country’s biggest news publisher joining a local ginger group alongside political figures compromise her own company's coverage in the capital? Also: award-winning NZ Geographic adopts maximum transparency to secure its survival
Wellington's daily The Post breaks the news a group of local grandees - including the paper's owner - has formed to get the capital 'back on track.'

Hitting the ground reckoning in the US, a backtrack and some u-turns

Midweek: Kiwi journalists in the US ramp up election reflections - and some politicians here too. US papers cop it for u-turns on backing Harris; TVNZ backtracks on its 1 News website - and Colin meets football elite (sort of . . . )
TVNZ's Jack Tame among the Maga-people

A look ahead to the US election & a look back at ours

A look at how US media have coped with the controversial campaign for the upcoming election there - and we look back at how our media fared covering the election here one year ago.
Back On Track? The New Zealand General Election of 2023.

Midweek: Sweating the small stuff

Midweek - fallout from RNZ's scrapped Anika Moa podcast featuring former Labour MP Kiri Allan, intervention in the WCC, the lack of excitement about the America's Cup win, and Health NZ’s $9200 on canapés
Defender Emirates Team New Zealand's co-skippers Peter Burling (L) and Nathan Outteridge (R) raise the America's Cup trophy during the trophy ceremony after winning the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup, in Barcelona on October 19, 2024.

WCC frenzy, dodging the news, scam ads scandal

Coverage of capital’s troubled city council - and claims the government could intervene. Also: news publishers respond to a survey showing more Kiwis dodging their news - and a surge in social media scam posts co-opting big names in news media.
The front page of Wellington's daily The Post on Wednesday after senior government ministers put pressure on the city's troubled Council.

The govt turns 1, RNZ's web surge, RIP BBC Hardtalk

Midweek - The government turns 1 (or does it?), a 'Chris-tastrophic' political poll (or was it), TVNZ news not on TV, RIP BBC Hardtalk.
TVNZ's Maiki Sherman with the results of a poll for the first anniversary of the 2023 election.

Online NZ news on the outer at TVNZ and Google

TVNZ’s signaled more cost-saving cuts and started by scrapping its online news site next year. Meanwhile Google’s threatening to cut ties with local news altogther. What’s going on?
Alphabet logo displayed on a laptop screen and Google logo displayed on a phone screen are seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on September 9, 2024. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto) (Photo by Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto / NurPhoto via AFP)

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