Stories by Colin Peacock

The Herald - and its publisher NZME - has embarked on a months-long series to push back at short-term thinking and political tribalism holding back the post-Covid recovery. Mediawatch asks the driving…

The new justice minister has said name suppression in our courts “is not working” because it’s granted too often to people with the means to make a strong bid for it. That puts Kiri Allan on the same…

Pundits and presenters aired excitable opinions about the possibility - or probability according to some - that Jacinda Ardern would quit while she was ahead before the next election. It's a re-run of…

The political turmoil in the UK sparked some spectacular emotional reactions - and language not normally fit for broadcast. Meanwhile, one radio host here was pondering just what words should be used…

Settling on a scheme to charge for agricultural emissions has taken 20 years of consultation, compromise and scientific research - and agriculture’s leading lobby groups were partners in the process…

Kris Faafoi masterminded the public media merger that’s now in train, before quitting politics to spend more time with his family last June. Now he wants to spend more time with government again…

Media execs aired their angst about the government’s public media plan in parliamentary hearings this week - and the commercial clout TVNZ will bring to the new entity.  TVNZ’s Simon Power talks to Me…

This week a Parliamentary committee heard concerns from other media companies about the new public media entity, as opposition attacks on the cost of it intensified.  Meanwhile a significant funding…

New Zealand is leading a bid to break open social media’s secret algorithms as part of The Christchurch Call  response, with backing from some big tech outfits. But without input from the biggest…

Midweek Mediawatch: Colin Peacock talks to Karyn Hay about developments in the progress of a new public media entity, and where the money for the content will come from. Also: a couple of awkward…

There’s mounting pressure on tech titans Google and Facebook to pay local news media to carry their news online. Google has already done deals with some for its News Showcase, but other big names in…

Midweek Mediawatch: Colin Peacock talked to Karyn Hay about the continuing coverage of the Queen’s death as her funeral approaches. Also: a primetime and publicly-funded documentary about a star…

Commercial media companies fear the new public media entity replacing RNZ and TVNZ will be greater than the sum of those two parts. The draft legislation obliges Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media to…

The GST tweak to Kiwisaver fees that hit the headlines this week was a not bad idea, according to some experts. But the change that was buried in a dense Bill of tax tweaks got dumped in less that a…

The legislation for our new public media entity is now before Parliament - but the clock’s ticking on public input. This week media executives, experts and some legal eagles cast their eye over it -…

He's said plenty in the media, they've said as little as possible (on the record, at least). That's left media weighing up whether MP-gone-rogue Dr Sharma has really lifted the lid on serous bullying…

A notorious white supremacist hit the headlines this week by seeking a spot on his local school board. Amid reports of a shortage of candidates for some local bodies, media have begun probing the…

Mediawatch’s weekly catch-up with Lately. This week Colin Peacock talks to Karyn Hay about Kiwi reporters on the ground in Ukraine to see the effects of war first-hand. Also: reporters’ relationship…

Has the media focus on political failings become just too intense? A new book lifting the lid on the National Party in opposition has revealed more about the struggles, scandals and scraps that…

One MP’s past misbehaviour put pressure on National - then another claimed bullying was rife in Labour during what turned into an expectedly turbulent week in party politics for the media. But even…

Two government agencies have revealed mounting concern about the intensity and the impact of online misinformation - and prompted loud calls for government action. But behind the scenes the…

Parliament’s press pack and political pundits alike made a big deal of Greens’ grass roots dissent undermining James Shaw’s leadership after last week’s AGM. But only a few of the many reports and…

In this week's edition of Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Bryan Crump about a big resignation at TVNZ, media outlets getting it right on climate coverage, news stories vanishing without…

Why did criticism of a modest sum spent on a single mini-documentary made two years ago suddenly spring up in the news in two national networks this week - and then disappear? 

An effort to shield the under-fire All Blacks coach from a media mauling last weekend fired up commentators already cranky about the high-handedness of rugby bosses. But given the intensity of some…