Newshub
National down 3.6 points, Labour up 4.9 points in Newshub poll
A political poll has shown National drop below Labour for the first time in its history. The Newshub-Reid Research poll just released has National dropping 3.6 points to 41.6 - the party's worst… Audio
'Tourists from hell' hog holiday headlines and spark media pile-on
The so-called “unruly tourists” were called all the names under the sun in a media pile-on that entertained and angered New Zealanders in equal measure. Every move these surprise summer celebrities… Audio
Roastbuster’s re-emergence reopens old wounds
Newshub aired an interview with a member of the notorious Roastbusters this week. Joseph Parker turned out to be partly penitent but more concerned about himself than his victims. Was it worth putting… Audio
Simon Bridges's spending scoop highlights the pros and cons of political leaks
Newshub’s early reveal of Simon Bridges’ big bill for travel created a political drama for the media this week. But the handling of the leaked info also sparked criticism from some pundits and others… Audio
Poll dancing already underway
The next election is a long way off and new party leaders are still bedding in. But already TV news networks and their political pundits are predicting what will happen next based on the opinion polls… Audio
Frenzy over a foreigner’s faith
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… Audio
Return to sender: bogus yarns from The Mail
Do chips make your hair grow back? No. Is cleaning the house as bad for you as smoking? No. But our click-hungry news websites keep running truth-bending beat-up news stories from British online… Audio
Claims of dirty politics in MP’s Snapchat story
A small story buried on page five of a paper last Sunday revealed MP Chris Bishop messaged youngsters online before the last election. The media questioned the MP’s conduct - but not the media's… Audio
Peters' pursuit of Super story sources rings alarm bells
Winston Peters has targeted two journalists in his legal action over the leak of his super-sized superannuation, alarming media freedom advocates. Audio
Party leaders picking on the media
When Winston Peters took centre stage this week, he also took a big swing at the media. Other party leaders also criticised the media coverage of the election, but some political players and the media… Video, Audio
Too much talk about too few polls?
The two big TV broadcasters aggressively promoted and reported the opinion polls they paid for during the election campaign, which returned some very different results. How did they compare with the… Video, Audio
Media commentator Gavin Ellis
A thorough debrief of media coverage before, during and after the election, that ended in speculation fatigue, and the small island of serenity at the the BBC called "slow TV". Gavin Ellis is a media… Audio
Fear and loathing in the farming press
Claims that the election turned the rural-urban divide into a chasm were strongly echoed in the media - especially the farming press. Audio
Debatable benefits of head-to-head clashes
Three live Ardern v English debates in seven days pumped up coverage of the election campaign. The media picked out the leaders’ zingers, bangers and clangers, and they agonised over who won and who… Audio
Inquests aplenty as Green leader goes
The blame for Metiria Turei's downfall is being spread in many directions - including hers. But some are pointing the finger at the media and their appetite for winners, losers and scalps. Audio
Jacindamania hits new heights
While one political party leader was cast into the depths last week, the popularity of another one hit new heights. Mediawatch looks at the coverage of Labour’s new leader and asks two news bosses if… Audio
Media make a drama out of Labour leadership crisis
New last-minute leaders for Labour have changed the story of the upcoming election for the media. But did they make a drama out of those opinion polls which forced the issue in the first place? Audio
Start-up scores a scoop and a scalp
Established news media and the parliamentary press gallery were scooped by a recent online start-up on the biggest political scandal of election year so far. Audio
A tale of two cities' terrorism
Two terrorist attacks claimed by IS this past week got very different coverage in the media. One faded fast from the headlines, while the other prompted both extreme responses and the “keep calm and… Audio
Media frenzy over right royal rumour
Rumours about Prince Phillip's health sent the media here into a major flap last Thursday -- and they flapped even more than most of the media in Britain. Audio