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Mediawatch
There's never a shortage of opinions on the media - but Mediawatch looks at it all in detail twice a week, accompanied by to-the-point interviews and analysis. Mediawatch is a must-listen each week for those keen to know more about the news - and each edition must also stand up to the scrutiny of those who work in our media.
Sundays at 9:05am and 10:12pm
Navigation for Mediawatch
Latest audio
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Midweek - starvation in Gaza, announcements, polling on a whim
30 Jul 2025Pressure goes on The Platform over a tweet from its founder, gaza starvation hits home for media, announcements of an announcement and a polling company chief puts out a question on a whim - with… Read more Audio
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Bitter butter battle tops bulletins, Saudi sports cash
A bitter battle over the price of butter led news bulletins this week, prompting a 'please explain' from the finance minister to Fonterra. But did the media miss the main point? Also: pundits say Sky… Read more Audio
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Midweek - 3 for $1, screen sport shake-up, frenchification
23 Jul 2025Sky buys Three for $1. Also - a shake-up sport on screen, some commentary classics, the Frenchification of Emile Donovan - and was Wrexham FC in Welly a real thing? Audio
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Politicians targeted by ads, ministers' multimedia handouts
Campaigns targeting politicians in the media are getting more intense - and politicians are getting more multimedia with their own messages for the press. Are these the same old tactics using new… Read more Audio
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Midweek: Chung scandal, Stuff story, newsreader's politics
16 Jul 2025A media frenzy over Ray Chung's lurid email about Wellington mayor Tory Whanau, Stuff retracts a story about AI blood testing, and a former newsreader enters the Tamaki Makaurau by-election. Audio
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Midweek - Chung scandal, Stuff story, newsreader's politics
16 Jul 2025A media frenzy over Ray Chung's lurid email about Wellington mayor Tory Whanau, Stuff retracts a story about AI blood testing, and a former newsreader enters the Tamaki Makaurau by-election. Audio
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Covid inquiry 2, fiscal holes set for re-run, TVNZ bias check
13 Jul 2025The backers of the second official inquiry into the Covid response say it's crucial for preparing us for the next pandemic - but the media mostly zeroed in on whether big-name politicians would show… Read more Audio
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Covid inquiry 2, fiscal holes set for re-run, TVNZ bias check
13 Jul 2025The backers of the second official inquiry into the Covid response say it's crucial for preparing us for the next pandemic - but the media mostly zeroed in on whether big-name politicians would show… Read more Audio
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Midweek- local papers fold, BBC & ABC fallout, RNZ exec goes
9 Jul 2025The closure of more local newspapers, further fallout for the BBC and the ABC over editorial handling of Gaza, senior RNZ exec resigns - and peacock persecution. Audio
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Awkward opinions test backbone, a picture of health
6 Jul 2025Mediawatch looks at a sudden slew of stuff on screen about life at the coal face in health, hospitals and hospices. Is the up close and personal approach also political? Speaking of political… Read more Audio
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Midweek - Christchurch 'lone wolf' questioned, Newstalk clash
2 Jul 2025A new podcast questions the 'lone wolf' narrative around the Christchurch terror attack, Newsroom asks some hard questions about the state housing sell-off, Stuff's TradeMe deal gets finalised - ZB's… Read more Audio
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OMG! Is it WW3?, AI telling us what we want to hear
29 Jun 2025It was hard for media all around the world to work out what happened in the Middle East. But claims that WW3 and global recession might be upon us here were rolled back within a day. Also: Chat GPT's… Read more Audio
Mediawatch
Sundays at 9:05am and 10:12pm
Follow this podcast.
- Email mediawatch@radionz.co.nz
- Follow @MediawatchNZ on Twitter
On air since 2001 and as a podcast since 2007, Mediawatch looks critically at big stories and issues in the news right now - and what’s going on behind the scenes across the media.
Mediawatch examines the output of reporters, producers and editors - as well as the input of PR and the ad industry. It also questions the executives, policy-makers, politicians, regulators and tech companies which influence our media today.
Colin Peacock, Producer and presenter of Mediawatch
Colin studied journalism at the University of Canterbury then headed overseas to freelance back in the 1990s before pitching up at BBC News for eight years. He worked for BBC World TV and news and sport network 5 Live before ending up as a producer at the World Service. After a stint at World Update, a co-production with Public Radio International in the US, he returned to New Zealand and came to RNZ in 2003. He’s been producing and presenting Mediawatch since 2007.
Hayden Donnell, Mediawatch producer
Hayden Donnell has been a writer, reporter and editor for news outlets including the New Zealand Herald, TVNZ, RNZ and Newshub. In recent years he’s also worked for The Spinoff, where his story on the making of Kim Dotcom’s much-maligned album Good Times won a Voyager award for best entertainment feature. He also presented the web series Get It To Te Papa, which follows his quest to get underappreciated artefacts into our national museum. He joined the Mediawatch team at the beginning of 2020.
