Mediawatch

It was the worst of times for the media industry but in spite of that, many people produced the work of their lives to give us crucial news-you-could-use in a crisis - as well as sorely needed entertainment. But some also put out mixed messages that countered the collective effort to crush Covid - and the internal dramas of others made the headlines too. Mediawatch sifts through 2020 - a year like no other in the media.

US news media took a beating from Covid-19 in 2020. Kiwi journalist and entrepreneur Hamish McKenzie runs a publishing platform-Substack - that boomed in 2020, giving journalists important audiences and income. But that success has also given him editorial conundrums to confront.

Mediawatch's weekly catch-up with Lately.This week Colin Peacock talks to Karyn Hay about a disputed and deleted (for now) documentary, a foreign-owned beer brand co-opting a patriotic protest for peace; an underwhelming memo for the minister of media - and overwrought reviews of an overwhelming year.

Mediawatch looks at how our media companies weathered the storm of Covid-19 in 2020 - and how we've ended up with more independent and locally-owned outlets than we've had for years. The chief executive of Stuff Sinead Boucher bought the company for one dollar earlier this year. What will she do with the company in 2021?

As the housing crisis continues to spiral out of control, Hayden Donnell calls for a moratorium on stories about young first home buyers.

In this week's Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Karyn Hay about the need for a ban on a certain type of housing story, a terrible prank played on TV1's Breakfast, and a Steinlager ad getting smuggled into news stories.

Our biggest national news publisher said sorry to Maori this week for racism in its reporting spanning three centuries. Mediawatch asks some who have confronted media racism in the past - and been confronted by it - if Stuff's stance is significant.

Mediawatch's weekly catch-up with Lately. This week Colin Peacock talks to Karyn Hay about a reality TV showing us real regional life. Also: another big name in newspapers confronting its racist past; a sudden switch at the top for Sky TV; a 'ridealong' report that raised questions.

The National Party's AGM delivered mixed messages last weekend as the president claimed the media lined up against the party at election time - while former PM John Key said the poor performance at the polls was the party's own fault.

People are used to getting news from public broadcasters paid for by taxpayers - or as a customer of commercial media organisations. But is news as a social enterprise an idea whose time has come? South Island online outfit Crux now wants its local audience to take ownership.

A Canterbury black panther, mysterious moose sightings in Fiordland - and big cats reportedly roaming rurally in the South Island. All of these have been reported by serious news outlets this past month. It makes for novel news, but do these sightings stack up as stories?

Mediawatch's weekly catch-up with Lately: Hayden Donnell chats to Susana Lei'ataua about the new Metro adding momentum to the comeback of local magazines; stories of housing hell hogging headlines; criticism of the not-so-cool capital piles up; the 'boomer ' slur debate - and the watchdog's verdict on 'Karen.'