RNZ: Mediawatch

Social media networks are now a big source of news for today's media - and also crucial platforms for distributing it. What people share online now often trumps traditional notions of what's news, but the new news boss at MediaWorks tells Mediawatch this is something to be embraced, not resisted.

One appearance in a TV ad made a man “a celebrity” for news purposes this week, while a genuine celebrity made the news just for appearing in a new ad.

Another week, another rugby scandal; Mediaworks new chief Hal Crawford on social networks and the news; 'celebrity' ads in the news.

Losi Filipo's controversial discharge without conviction sparked outrage among the public and the media alike this week. Important facts about the law were obscured by all the anger and calls for heads to roll.

Established New Zealand broadcasters will compete with online outlets for our public broadcasting money from next year under a new regime proposed by New Zealand On Air. It is a significant change, but largely ignored so far by the media.

Some surprising sums were paid at a political fundraiser recently, raising questions that weren't fully answered in the media.

The court of public opinion on a controversial sentence; New Zealand on Air plan draws a muted response; expensive signatures raise money - and questions

A rich nobody making a racist remark on a reality TV show most of us don't watch created a media frenzy this week. Meanwhile, a major journalistic investigation into racial bias in the justice system caused barely a ripple in the following days. 

The Labour and National parties have harvested tens of thousands of email addresses over the last couple of months with online gimmicks aimed at Facebook and Twitter users.

The Labour and National parties have harvested tens of thousands of emails with online gimmicks - it's clever but is it ethical?

It's been weeks since the Mad Monday scandal first broke, yet key facts are still hidden from the media. While the Chiefs' players stay silent, women are the target for the loudest calls for heads to roll.

When a Pulitzer Prize-winning picture was pulled from Facebook feeds recently, Mark Zuckerberg was called out for abusing his editorial power by a Norwegian newspaper. Mediawatch discovers its publisher is also fighting the online giant's dominance of the modern media marketplace - and winning.

Alarming headlines about banana prices’ upward curve obscured a downward drift in dairy and chicken that's cheap as chips

Media fallout from Mad Monday; Norway calls out Facebook; rotten apple coverage; banana drama obscures food facts.

When the PR machine is in full effect for Apple, news judgement crumbles.