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

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

Epstein Files hog headlines worldwide as local angles emerge here. Also: more commentary on the tragedy at Mount Maunganui, the PM copping unfair criticism for his visits to the disaster zones, NZ radio stations under new Aussie ownership - and roadcone nonsense.

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

The deadly disaster in the north was sparked by weather which was extreme - but no longer unexpected. Media mapped out how it happened and lapses in the response, but copped criticism reporting the role of politics and climate change. Also: NBR's copyright crusade, business news in 2026 - and great sporting headlines.

Read more about this episode of Mediawatch on the RNZ website

Death, devastation and extreme weather test media | RNZ News

In this episode:

1:19 Reporting what went wrong and why after tragedies at Mount Maunganui and Welcome Bay in the face of misleading social media - and claims it was ‘not yet the time’ to raise the role of climate change or politics.

17:34 Business news on TV to make a comeback - and paid political content painting a rosy economic picture.

21:05 Why NBR is confronting subscribers over-sharing content.

23:30 NBR co-editor Hamish McNichol on NBR’s copyright crusade, the appetite for business news and whether election year is just business as usual for the country’s longest-lasting business publication.

40:41 Surprise sacking of Razor Robertson sparks cutting rorts headlines

Guests: Hamish McNichol, co-editor of NBR

Follow Mediawatch and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any podcast app to make sure you never miss an episode.

Find more RNZ Podcasts at the new section of the RNZ website at rnz.co.nz/podcasts

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

How media reported the Mauao disaster and devastation elsewhere - and political counter-claims at a time of tragedy. Also morning news shake-up ahead, netball's media and money problems, and the art of the solo promo.

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

How should media handle the mixed messages on the economy as politicians and pressure groups push policy and public opinion? Also: The fall of The House of Du Val, TVNZ’s courtroom dramas, unsettling summer weather forecasts, a clickbait debate about summer breaks & a vibecheck for Wellywood.

Read more about this episode of Mediawatch on the RNZ website

1:11 Summer weather rage-bait

6:02 Wellywood premiere rekindles good times - before director warns it could be end times for blockbusters

10:18 Media drive debate about anti-productive summer break - all based on social media opinion.

13:31 Pre-Christmas economic stats gave a mixed picture of our economy this week, as pundits and pressure groups push policy and public opinion. And that Willis- Richardson right-wing rumble is off.

20:55 Maria Slade on her BusinessDesk investigation ‘Fall of the House of Du Val’

24:45 Financial state of the media in 2025

26:40 Judge dismisses Talleys case against TVNZ, which faced another defamation case this week backed by NZME’s billionaire director James Grenon.

Guests: Maria Slade, property editor at BusinessDesk

Follow Mediawatch and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any podcast app to make sure you never miss an episode.

Find more RNZ Podcasts at the new section of the RNZ website at rnz.co.nz/podcasts

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

Colin Peacock and Emile Donovan hand out Mediawatch’s not-very-prestigious and not-at-all coveted annual awards - such as best leading of the media by the nose; worst live media event, and the Billy Connolly Trophy for breaking news about a single animal.

Colin Peacock and Emile Donovan hand out Mediawatch’s not-very-prestigious and not-at-all coveted annual awards - best leading of the media by the nose; worst live media event - and the Billy Connolly Trophy for breaking news about a single animal.

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

The finance minister's pushed back at PR campaign that made news even before it began. The impact of online advocacy on our politics and news was also aired at two conferences this week. A visiting veteran from the US talks about ‘left v right’ and polarisation of trust in the news.

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