Editor Madeleine Chapman reflects on the end (for now) of the news cycle about the news.
You’d be forgiven for getting a bit tired of hearing about the news while watching the news. The media is in the unique position of both serving as an all-seeing eye on behalf of New Zealanders while also having the privilege of being able to turn that eye inward and report on itself ad nauseum if it so desires. This week has been one of those weeks, with Three journalists (not the grunts behind the cameras or in the offices, mind you) bidding farewell on various platforms, including ours. (Note: If you’ve ever been fond of Mike McRoberts and/or Samantha Hayes, I do recommend reading their exit interview with Duncan Greive.)
Is it too much? Is it gauche? It’s genuinely hard to know because no other industry has that type of front-facing relationship with its consumers. In December, 800 construction workers lost their jobs four days before Christmas when the company that hired them collapsed. About 500 of those whose jobs were terminated so abruptly were migrant workers. It was duly reported for five days before newsrooms went into summer hiatus mode. The story never returned after the break.
For us, a publication that specialises in TV and culture, among other things, there’s absolutely a number of stories to write about the end of widely watched and regarded shows. We’ll be recapping the end and beginning of AM, Newshub and Stuff’s new venture just as we farewell local sitcoms or personalities and review new shows. But as a story about job losses and industry upheaval? The newsworthiness of that will be in the eye of the beholder.
This week’s episode of Behind the Story
Spinoff founder Duncan Greive has been writing regularly this year on business, politics and pop culture. But his slightly more niche area of interest is the media itself. This week was a big week for the media with AM and Newshub airing their final episodes and a new lease on life for the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill. Both stories were covered in different format by Duncan this week.
He joins Madeleine Chapman on Behind the Story to talk about what he’s looking for in exit interviews, how he keeps a story interesting over a number of years, and what compels him to write.
So what have readers spent the most time reading this week?
Comments of the week
“All you ladies pop your zussy like this”
“Team Madeleine here. Season 3 rambles along in a disjointed and pointless fashion. It’s like it was made because they had to rather than had anything to say. Boo!”
“Thank for you this essay. I think its a good reflection of where things at, definitely a positive shift for our Aotearoa. There will always be little wrinkles and some won’t engage – but thats similar to similar debates re Anzac Day and Christmas. I am heartened by the continued growth of knowledge by many. For example,
– I know most of the basics pretty well now, but my first encounter with Matariki was at uni in 2006 or 2007 when the then government created a giveaway Matariki calendar. I had no idea what thatwas about!
– my 5yo nephew learned about it in school and gave me a paper matariki ball with stars on it Friday morning – that wouldn’t have happened 3 years ago! :)”
Pick up where this leaves off
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