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Mediawatch headlines with summaries.
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Media merger saga turns into bitter court battle
The long-running saga of the mega-merger of our two biggest news publishers is heading for the High Court - not for the first time. Last time round, NZME and Stuff were fighting for the right to get…
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No relief for under-pressure commercial media in Budget
Spending on broadcasting and public media has been boosted by $25m over four years in Budget 2020, but there was nothing in it to ease the plight of commercial news media companies.
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New documents shed light on RNZ music controversy
RNZ has made public more documents about the controversial changes to RNZ Concert which sparked a public and political backlash in February. They show RNZ made a bid for an extra frequency but backed…
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NZME forces media merger issue
NZME’s plea for permission to buy its rival Stuff for $1 by the end of this month kickstarted confusing counterclaims today which show a deal is far from done. It’s also a symptom of upheaval in an…
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Document dumps and gagging inflame media
NZME’s plea for permission to buy its rival Stuff from its owner in Australia for $1 by the end of this month kickstarted a confusing series of claims which show a deal is far from done. It’s a sign…
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Rogue suicide claim goes viral
Last weekend an inaccurate claim about suicide spread so far online that both the Ministry of Health and the Mental Health Foundation moved to debunk it. Hayden Donnell looks at how it happened - and…
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Media health claims fuel push to ease the lockdown
With Monday's decision on Level 2 looming, some in the media are pushing hard to loosen the lockdown, claiming it is killing jobs now and will kill more New Zealanders in future.
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The forgotten media crisis
As politicians rush to provide help to TV, radio, and online news, magazine sector representatives say they're being left out of the discussion.
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Radio ‘roadblock’ interview sparks racism complaints
A confrontational radio interview about iwi-run roadside checkpoints this week prompted complaints of racism. Broadcaster Sean Plunket condemned one iwi’s actions as “separatism,” asked an iwi leader…
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New NZ on Air boss on pressure to fund journalism
Struggling news media companies hope the funding agency New Zealand on Air will bankroll more of their journalism, in addition to the local dramas and documentaries for TV it has funded from the…
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Fast food frenzy a genuine story if overcooked in parts
Some people couldn’t wait to get a fast-food feed ASAP after the level 3 switch - and the media copped criticism for wall-to-wall on-the-spot coverage of the frenzy. But reporters went beyond the…
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Was the Ashley Bloomfield bleach question bad?
A lot of people weren't happy when Ashley Bloomfield was asked about the idea that bleach injections could treat Covid-19. Mediawatch deliberates on the question's worth and issues a call for calm.
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Beebflix? Political push for a subscriber BBC
Boris Johnson’s Tories in the UK are signalling a “mission attack” on the BBC, centred on a switch from households paying compulsory licence fees to voluntary Netflix-style subscriptions. Why? And…
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Return of party politics puts leaders under pressure
For weeks our political news has centred on the fight against Coronavirus. But this week pre-Covid concerns emerged in the media to create political headaches for Winston Peters and Simon Bridges
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Media ramp up news of going down a level
Last Monday's announcement on moving off alert level 4 was a major event for the media. In normal times people aren't so interested in a PM's press conference co-starring top cops and public servants.
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Struggling media get takeaways from government
On Thursday media companies learned some will take away more than others from the government's first targeted Covid-19 crisis package. Meanwhile, the minister of broadcasting has signaled he'll follow…
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Essential workers deserve to keep spotlight once lockdown is gone
23 Apr 2020They’re getting nationwide applause. Thankful words from politicians. But will our media's focus stay on our essential workers once the lockdown is over?
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"Adrenaline shot" for ailing media
23 Apr 2020The Government has unveiled a $50m “adrenaline shot” for commercial media companies struggling with the sudden slump in revenue caused by the Covid-19 crisis - with more to come in weeks ahead. But…
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Increasing media resistance to the deification of Dr Ashley Bloomfield
A song has been written about him. People have penned paeans to his extreme competence. But the media is starting to resist the deification of Dr Ashley Bloomfield.
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Covid-19 contrarians claim they're being censored
21 Apr 2020Sir Ray Avery and epidemiologist Simon Thornley have claimed their contrarian ideas on Covid-19 are being censored. That's true, provided you ignore the huge amount of media coverage they've received.
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Stuff reaches out to readers
New Zealand’s biggest news publisher Stuff is appealing to readers to fund its reporting just days after its CEO told Parliament "ongoing government support for a commercial media industry" is needed…
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Mediawatch for 19 April 2020
19 Apr 2020Media make the case for emergency help; expat entrepreneurial journalist proposes an ad-free future; trouble with COVID 19 numbers
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Entrepreneurial expat journalist urges media to look beyond ads
The Kiwi co-founder of a successful digital publishing business in the US says the chaos of our media’s current crisis obscures an opportunity to break their dependence on dwindling volumes of ads…
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Anti-lockdown push gets media traction - and pushback
19 Apr 2020While some saw this week's announcement of guidelines for COVID-19 Alert Level 3 as a good sign, many with a mouthpiece in the media saw it as proof the government had over-reacted here with Level 4 …
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