RNZ: Mediawatch

Revelations that a fashion brand with a Kiwi-made reputation sells some stuff made offshore lifted the lid on strains in the fashion business. It also prompted a fierce push-back from the owner in the media.

Many countries allow citizens to pinch bits of TV shows, movies and songs to take the mickey out of them. But our copyright law still has no exception for parody and satire. Should we take our lead from Australia which has had one for more than a decade? ​

Chances are you’ve never heard of the Independent App Network of NZ, but its members have launched local news apps from Wellington to Ashburton and journalists are being hired to work on them.  

Fear and clothing; apps fill gaps in local news; unusual award winner; you can't be serious - satire, parody and copyright.

Ten journalists were killed in Afghanistan this week by a bomber posing as one of them. They were the latest victims of rising hostility to the media around the world. Peter Greste  - who knows what it's like when colleagues get killed and who was also jailed for his journalism  - tells Mediawatch that solidarity and standards now matter more than ever - as well as safety. 

The backers of a new media venture in Queenstown and Wanaka say the region risks becoming a “digital backwater” and - like other places in the South Island - it's starved of good local journalism. How do they plan to put that right?

The country’s biggest paper chain downsized its daily papers this week to freshen them up, cut costs and hopefully halt sliding sales. But apart from the smaller pages - what’s new? And how did readers react?

Stalling the rumour mill; Stuff switches size; boosting local journalism for the Southern Lakes; Peter Greste - solidarity and standards.

Whether to report on false rumours about the PM’s partner created a quandary for the media. Could they report on slurs designed to do damage without playing into the hands of rumour-mongers?

One Australian rugby star’s comment on social media sparked dozens of reports and an avalanche of opinion in the media over the past fortnight. Even our PM was drawn into the debate overseas. But how much of it got to the heart of the matter?

New Zealand is back in the top ten in the annual rankings of global media freedom. That's not bad considering we plummeted down the ladder last year. But does that mean everything’s rosy?

Australia's biggest news media companies have united to fight a national security law that could criminalise reporters and their sources. Peter Greste - who knows all about being jailed for journalism - tells Mediawatch New Zealand should take notice.

Facebook looked daft in in 2016 when it censored a Norwegian newspaper’s use of famous Vietnam War photo because of nudity. Facebook said it would rethink the way it applies its ‘community standards’ to news. Two years later it’s happened again in Vanuatu.  

Media frenzy over a foreigners faith; media freedom under the microscope; Australian media unite to fight laws to jail journalists; another Facebook photo fail.

The awards for the best New Zealand journalism have been sponsored by a global camera-maker, a paint firm and even Australia’s national airline in recent years. Now a local ISP is picking up the tab. Voyager boss Seeby Woodhouse tells Mediawatch he's been spooked by what he's seen in the US - and he wants our media to up their game.