Anti-immigration political parties have been boosted in many countries. Now NZ First forcing the issue onto the news agenda. Also: is streaming eating itself? And why did one friendly umbrella gesture end up heavily analysed in our media?

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Judgments media made reporting the recent court hearing featuring mass-murderer Brenton Tarrant. Also: how two private functions at one private club ended up being very public - and AI accusations on ice at the Winter Olympics.

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Solid and liquid sewage is streaming into the sea in the capital, as the government says we need to import gas to ease energy shortages. Flaky infrastructure is an election year issue again - but are the media seeing the big picture as well as the political one? Also: the battle to stop AI ripping off real New Zealand news and flooding Facebook.

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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'

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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?

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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.

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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

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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.

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