RNZ: Mediawatch

Journalists strived to do justice to the Chris Cairns trial in the coverage from London in recent weeks, reporting with great restraint. But some commentators and comedians here at home didn't hold back - even after this week's verdict.  ​

An unusual new advert featuring talking animals had an unfortunate outing on TV last weekend - hard on the heels of alarming revelations about animal cruelty.

A warning shot for journalists; Chris Cairns caned by commentators and comedians; an unfortunate outing for an unusual advert and are TV current affairs shows an endangered species?

Yokels Beehive and Sam Lout-Giga never turned up to Jonah Lomu's private memorial last weekend. That's because they only existed in stories about the service printed by large New Zealand publishers. But those are not the only spelling errors appearing in our news in print and online lately. ​

Voting is under way in the flag referendum and pundits, politicians and presenters alike have been pushing their preferences in the media - even if they pretended not to.

Few people want to think a lot about children killed by violence or neglect, but this week Fairfax Media confronted readers with a substantial series about it called 'Faces of Innocents'. Mediawatch asks its editor how it was put together and what he hopes it can achieve.

Running it up the flagpole; bringing sad stories to life; terrible typos, spelling mistakes and non-existent names in the news; an embarrassing name that embarrassed the media.

News outlets all over the planet seized on the story of a man with a name reportedly too rude to say out loud in english, and too weird for Facebook. But no-one checked if it was actually true or an embarrassing hoax.

Three people prominent in the Dirty Politics controversy have been back in the news lately, but for very different reasons. One was shadowy political fixer Simon Lusk. But was he squirming in the TV spotlight this week or enjoying the exposure?

While 'Dirty Politics' author Nicky Hager waits for a judge's ruling which could have implications for investigative journalism, Rachel Glucina's showbiz website Scout is running into trouble - and running out of staff.

Radio New Zealand's prolonged funding freeze and the cost of new digital initiatives are beginning to bite. Last week a restructure of its music division was confirmed at the cost of some jobs. This week RNZ's radio group proposed cutting jobs of producers and newsreaders as well as two senior roles, including the Head of Radio. Mediawatch asks RNZ's chief executive and editor-in-chief Paul Thompson why this is happening now, and where his digital plan is heading.

The shocking attacks on Paris were comprehensively covered this past week in the media, but some critics have complained that's not always the case when tragedy strikes overseas. An expert tells Mediawatch: don't rush to blame journalists for that - it might be your fault too.  

A shadowy political fixer in the spotlight; 'Dirty Politics' players back in the frame; RNZ's boss on cutting the cloth - and jobs - in tight times; why do some foreign tragedies get more media coverage than others?

Newstalk ZB, iHeart Radio and the New Zealand Herald teamed up this week for a live 24-hour discussion of the upcoming flag referendum. But it was the public who picked up some of the bill. Mediawatch looks at the on-air 'flagathon' and asks if hiring mainstream media is a good way to air public issues - or a cunning new way for media companies to make money. 

Mediawatch listeners respond to Radio New Zealand calling itself simply 'RNZ' on the air and online. Also: how the BBC hasn't retired the word 'radio' even for its youngest digital natives.