Sunday Morning for Sunday 9 February 2014
8:12 Insight Does a rich-poor divide really matter?
Once one of the most equal nations in the world, New Zealand's income gap widened faster than any other developed country during the 1980s and 1990s. According to inequality research in 2009, Japan's richest 20 percent are four times as rich as its poorest 20 percent. That makes Japan one of the most equal countries in the world. In New Zealand the rich are about seven times as rich as the poorest 20 percent. Equality advocates say that is too wide and is responsible for social problems including high rates of mental illness, teenage pregnancy, violence and incarceration. Others say obsessing about a "gap" is a distraction from tackling poverty itself.
Penny Mackay considers both arguments and some of the offered solutions.
Produced by Philippa Tolley.
8:40 Lori Peek – Coping with Disaster
Lori Peek is an expert in disasters – not what causes them – but their impact on us. She focuses in particular on children and young people, how they are affected by anything from terrorist attacks, to hurricanes and earthquakes. Lori Peek is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Co-Director of the Center for Disaster and Risk Analysis at Colorado State University. She also serves as Associate Chair of the Social Science Research Council Task Force on Hurricane Katrina and Rebuilding the Gulf Coast.
9:06 Mediawatch
Mediawatch looks at advertisers encroaching on news and programmes, and asks if a big beer brand managed to create the perfect promotion recently. Also: how the wind went out of debate about a new flag; how purging protest from Waitangi Day coverage backfired; and how a broadcaster across the ditch is under political pressure to ‘back the home team’.
Produced and presented by Colin Peacock and Jeremy Rose.
9:40 Janina Kuzma – Olympic Skier
Freeskier Janina Kuzma broke her back in 2012 and now she’s representing New Zealand at the Winter Olympics.
http://www.janinakuzma.com/
10:06 Ideas Identity and Independence
Today in Ideas, three guests discuss their nations’ struggle for self-determination. Richard McGregor, the chair of the Clan Gregor Society, talks about Scottish independence as the debate heats up over September’s referendum; Mike Summers from the Falkland Islands tells us about the islanders' demand to stay British in the shadow of territorial demands from Argentina; and Daniel Benson-Guiu discusses the struggle for independence from Spain in his homeland, Catalonia.
11:05 Down the List
Will ACT’s hopeful new leadership make any difference to the party’s flagging fortunes?
Down the List is written by Dave Armstrong and produced by Adam Macaulay and Duncan Smith from the RNZ Drama Department.
11:12 Graeme Jefferies – Making Music
Graeme Jefferies grew up in Stratford, Taranaki, and he’s been making his own unique music for nearly 30 years – he’s just released his 20th album, Calm Before the Storm with band The Cakekitchen. He’s not as well known at home as he is in Europe, where he has his largest following – one of his songs became a hit after it was included in a soundtrack for a German movie. He talks to Richard about his music, and plays a few tunes.
11:40 Wayne Brittenden’s Counterpoint
After the release of the biographical movie, Hitchcock, the films of that master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, are being seen again by his dedicated audience – and a largely intrigued younger generation. Though not political, an aspect of the great director’s work neatly describes a characteristic of contemporary politics, according to Wayne. Richard follows up with Dr Marlia Banning of the University of Colorado.