Mediawatch

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