The outcry over broadcaster John Banks' racist on-air comments about Māori culture shouldn't mean talkback radio is written off entirely, says The Spinoff staff writer Alex Braae.
In an opinion piece titled In defence of talkback radio, Braae argues talkback can be a thoughtful medium with an important social function.
Photo: Public domain
As a format, talkback radio is better suited to debate than social media, Braae says.
"It's immediate. You can foster great debates... And it's one of the few forms of media where people ring up and generally using their own name and own voice say whatever they have to say to the country at large.
"It's a medium that - when done right - shouldn't prioritise one type of voice over another."
Newstalk ZB's nostalgia programme In My Day plays an important societal role, he says.
"It has a largely elderly audience, broadcasts on a Saturday night… and it keeps people connected and keeps them feeling like they're part of a community and part of a wider conversation."
Good talkback hosts ask questions and challenge the views of callers, but the most important quality required is empathy - as demonstrated by church minister Frank Ritchie on the Newstalk ZB show Sunday at Six.
"He gets a lot of calls often from people in distress… and the key thing is the listening and trying to understand where people are coming from. It's not about having an argument or generating as much controversy as you can - it's about having a conversation."
