RNZ: Mediawatch

One MP's controversial comments - outrageous outburst or journalists' joke?; broadcasters band together to create a brand new watchdog; plug pulled on TV awards and are startling stories about wild weather misleading us?

The Mediawatch team runs through listeners' queries and comments and updates recent stories from the programme. There are responses to the coverage of the death of Sir Paul Holmes; reaction to reports of Gareth Morgan's cat campaign; the rocky start for Seven Sharp; anger over Igloo; Aussie papers outsourced here; Dick Smith's latest patriotic provocation; a green light for 'Beast of Blenheim', time to reclaim the Nerd?

Blunt assessments of Seven Sharp; Maori TV's new news boss; a voicemail gone viral makes national news; how PR people misread the Novopay nightmare; can new ways of backing US journalism work here?

The media's long goodbye to Sir Paul Holmes and the thoughts of a former colleague; Gareth Morgan on copping flak from cat lovers and football fans - and how he gets issues into the media and; knock-backs for news in Auckland.

Mediawatch asks why critics are carping about a new TV news programme before it has even screened, and looks at some recent news-making interviews: One which took its subject by surprise because he didn't know it was happening, one which actually never happened at all, and Oprah Winfrey's exclusive with back-pedalling cyclist Lance Armstrong.

Mediawatch looks back at the media in 2012: the year an All Black tackled 'breastfeeding Nazis', Kim Dotcom rocked the government's cabbage boat, and fatty fast food, salty spreads, old biscuits and sugary musicals all took turns to hijack the headlines and much more.

The chief of the outfit spending our money on broadcasting on how it sets its priorities in tight times; a rash of recent questions on the worth of modern medicines, and; local publications take a punt on putting up paywalls.

A prank with tragic consequences; TV current affairs thin out while public-funded talent shows prosper; regional TV's struggle - and a new public service channel only on pay TV, and; an embattled MP's rough ride in the media.

Hobbit hoopla and the anguished analysis of foreign media reports, a hack charged over hacking responds to the UK's epic Leveson report, the risk of ruined reputations world where gossip goes global in a flash, a claim of bias boomerangs on it source.

Rumblings in the news ahead of the Hobbit's big day; making a media meal of Labour's leadership; community broadcasters covering post-quake Canterbury on a shoestring; yet more marketing that uses sex to sell - with help from the media.

Rumblings in the news ahead of The Hobbit's big day; making a media meal of Labour's leadership; community broadcasters covering post-quake Christchurch on a shoestring; yet more marketing that uses sex to sell - with help from the media.

The BBC's boss carries the can for failures of its journalism - and Radio New Zealand's boss on where the buck stops here; an American scholar and broadcaster on media as a force for bad and good; radio under the radar - volunteer broadcasters filling big gaps on access radio in Otago.

Off-the-cuff comments put the PM in the spotlight; coverage of the death of leading lawyer Greg King - and the front page focus on other lawyers; public radio under the radar on the nation's Access stations.

Strange connections with 'Superstorm Sandy'; rosy reports of the economic impact of film and television; an expert in the arts says the media fail to cover them properly and; the nation's most notorious blogger takes charge of a national newspaper.

A tragic killing which kick-started a campaign to change the law; how an Australian ad campaign went wrong - and how advertisers here now have to be on their guard; freelance journalists can get great stories - but not great money; how hard did the media work on Labour Day?