• Midweek - War breaks out in Iran; PM fluffs his lines; TVNZ's interference fears
    Mar 4 2026

    Coverage of war breaking out on Iran, influencers' soft power picture shattered, the local angles including a PM punished for fluffing his lines. Also - TVNZ's crime reporting fallout prompt claims of editorial interference.

    Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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    20 mins
  • Govt moves on rough sleepers, reporting Wellington woes, mystery blogger
    Feb 28 2026

    The government’s moved on rough sleepers and beggars downtown - by giving the police power to move them out of town. How did the media handle that this week? Also: reporting Wellington's bad news; political ad rebuke - and who’s ‘Peter Bassett’?

    Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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    34 mins
  • Midweek - Andrew image explodes, goalie's grief goes global, The Press looks back, PM's soc-med scorn,
    Feb 25 2026

    'That' image of Andrew becomes one of world’s most-reproduced images ever - and a local goalie's grief went global too. Also - The Press looks back on 15 years after the quake; the PM's social content copping extreme scorn

    Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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    23 mins
  • Immigration issue amped up, ceiling for streaming, over-the-top umbrella
    Feb 21 2026

    Anti-immigration political parties have been boosted in many countries. Now NZ First forcing the issue onto the news agenda. Also: is streaming eating itself? And why did one friendly umbrella gesture end up heavily analysed in our media?

    Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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    34 mins
  • Midweek - terrorist's identity conundrum, private functions go very public & AI on ice
    Feb 18 2026

    Judgments media made reporting the recent court hearing featuring mass-murderer Brenton Tarrant. Also: how two private functions at one private club ended up being very public - and AI accusations on ice at the Winter Olympics.

    Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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    22 mins
  • Infrastructure anxiety hits headlines again, AI slop feeds fake news flood
    Feb 14 2026

    Solid and liquid sewage is streaming into the sea in the capital, as the government says we need to import gas to ease energy shortages. Flaky infrastructure is an election year issue again - but are the media seeing the big picture as well as the political one? Also: the battle to stop AI ripping off real New Zealand news and flooding Facebook.

    Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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    37 mins
  • Midweek - WaPocalypse now, FLOTUS film flop, 'enshitification' outbursts, sweary hero
    Feb 11 2026

    Turmoil at one of the great names of US media - The Washington Post. Also: the FLOTUS film flop, the sweary hero of our Winter Olympics, an outburst of 'enshitification'

    Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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    21 mins
  • Bad language on the air & AI in our newsrooms
    Feb 7 2026

    Surveys say we don't yet trust AI in our news, but a new report shows our newsrooms are all using it - even if they’re not telling us. Another report says we’re more bothered by bad language on air than we have been in the past. But what kind of stuff really offends us?

    Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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    35 mins