Commute Week: Commute pictures from all around the country*

The Spinoff concludes Commute Week by sharing commute images from you, our lovely readers.  *We received exactly one (1) photo from the South Island. The Spinoff hosted Commute Week last week, seven days committed to discussing all things transport. Throughout the week we asked for pictures of your commute and you all delivered. The main … Read more

The best of The Spinoff this week

Bringing you the best weekly reading from your friendly local website. Emily Writes: An open letter to Mike Hosking “Now, any parent who actually parents will know that early childhood education is no walk in the park and the question is absurd. And “painting pictures with a three-year-old” is not only not easy, but also it’s nowhere near all that … Read more

Exclusive: The Spinoff wins everything at Voyager Media Awards 2018

As expected, every single award last night was won by the Spinoff, to universal acclaim. In a glittering ceremony at the Auckland hotel which used to be glamorously known as the Langham but was recently renamed Cordis so that it sounds more like a provincial motor inn, the cream of New Zealand media gathered last … Read more

Funny Girls Friday: The Virgin Mary gets an unwelcome gift

With the return of Three’s women-led sketch show Funny Girls tonight at 9.45pm, we bless ye with an exclusive clip from tonight’s episode. Funny Girls returns to Three tonight at 9.45pm This content, like all television coverage we do at The Spinoff, is brought to you thanks to the excellent folk at Lightbox. Do us … Read more

‘I miss Paul. He wasn’t afraid’: Remembering Sir Paul Callaghan

Ahead of the premiere of a new documentary on the life and work of Sir Paul Callaghan, a few of his friends and colleagues – including Anne Salmond, Bill Manhire, Nicola Gaston and Shaun Hendy – share their memories of the great man. New Zealander of the Year, founding director of the MacDiarmid Institute, coiner … Read more

The best of The Spinoff this week

Bringing you the best weekly reading from your friendly local website. Toby Manhire: What the shit is going on with those Clarke Gayford rumours? “Everyone in media and political circles, Steve Braunias notwithstanding, has been gasbagging like mad over the last month about rumours related to Clarke Gayford, the partner of the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern. Most … Read more

From ambitious to zero budget: an A-Z guide for Budget 2018

With the budget just weeks away we’ve created a helpful (mostly) alphabetic introduction to the mysteries of the annual government Budget. A Ambitious What every budget always is. B Books In budget-speak, this exclusively refers to accounts, often in relation to the balancing thereof, and disappointingly never to potboiler novels. C Chewing gum Michael Cullen’s … Read more

New to Lightbox in May: Plucky teens, guerrilla armies and Joanna Lumley

British miniseries galore, Joanna Lumley travelogues, plucky teens putting on a musical about 19th Germany – May on Lightbox has got it all. Sam Brooks and Alex Casey run down what’s coming to Lightbox this month. Love, Nina (May 2) Who doesn’t love a delicious Nick Hornby adaptation to soothe the weary soul? Based on the … Read more

Dancing with the Stars NZ: the essential cut-out-and-keep office sweepstake kit

Light up your bleak office life with our cut-out-and-circulate Dancing with the Stars NZ Sweepstake kit. Please feel free to repurpose as bingo or a drinking game or whatever.   To print, click here for PDF. Brought to you by Toby Morris, Tina Tiller, Mad Chapman & Alex Casey This content, like all television coverage … Read more

Why you and everyone you know should sign up for The Bulletin

The Spinoff recently launched a free daily digest of the most important news from around New Zealand called The Bulletin, and it’s proving to be a big hit. Here’s why you should sign up. Nobody has an abundance of time any more. The idea of sitting down for a leisurely read of the paper every … Read more

The best of The Spinoff this week

Bringing you the best weekly reading from your friendly local website. Danyl Mclauchlan: Breaking news: Clarke Gayford reputation rocked by Herald allegations “This is not to deny that the Herald’s investigation raises some valid issues which Ardern and her government must urgently move to address. Why were we not told that Gayford came second in the … Read more

Pavement provided ‘exemplary environment’, claims magazine editor in new response

In an email to the Spinoff, Barney McDonald says In Plain Sight investigation misrepresents the magazine, the men at its helm, and amounts to ‘sensationalist click-bait’. Barney McDonald, the former editor of Auckland culture magazine Pavement, has written to the Spinoff renewing and expanding upon his earlier response to In plain sight: behind the pages … Read more

AM Show hosts launch yet another blistering attack on AM Show hosts

Breakfast carnage continues on Newshub as Mark Richardson and Duncan Garner tear chunks out of Mark Richardson and Duncan Garner Last week New Zealand had barely begun recovering from the sight of broadcaster Duncan Garner’s blistering attack on broadcaster Duncan Garner over free speech when broadcaster Mark Richardson stole his fellow broadcaster’s thunder with a … Read more

The best of The Spinoff this week

Bringing you the best weekly reading from your friendly local website. Alex Casey: ‘Would you like me to also be a different skin colour and male?’ – Anika Moa claps back at tattoo criticism on Seven Sharp “I’ll just cover up a little bit” Moa whispered, frantically pulling her sleeves over her hands and attempting … Read more

In TV outburst, Mark Richardson announces he is sick of Mark Richardson

Yet another blistering AM Show attack as cricketer-turned-broadcaster condemns cricketer-turned-broadcaster Earlier this week high-profile broadcaster and host of the AM Show Duncan Garner launched a blistering attack on high-profile broadcaster and host of the AM Show Duncan Garner over his role as Chief Constable in the Speech Police. Not to be outdone, his co-host, Mark … Read more

In pictures: Jacinda Ardern travels Europe’s halls of power

Paris, Berlin, London. The New Zealand prime minister has been shuttling the major European capitals this week, and the snappers have been out in force to document the appearances of New Zealand’s ‘pregnant leftie PM’ (© Sun newspaper). Here, a selection of those photographs, and Sam Brooks’ scientific analysis reveals precisely what Jacinda Ardern was … Read more

Great news: NZ’s biggest company to stop exploiting NZ’s smallest companies

After ruthlessly exploiting their monopoly power by imposing payment terms of up to 90 days on thousands of small suppliers, dairy giant Fonterra has bowed to morality with a new invoicing policy. Dairy giant Fonterra is responsible for around 30% of the world’s milk products, has revenue exceeding $17bn and was famous for paying its … Read more

The best of The Spinoff this week

Bringing you the best weekly reading from your friendly local website.  Emily Writes: Hey Mojo, if you can’t pay your staff properly maybe you shouldn’t be in business “I’m thoroughly confused by employers who insist that no business model can ever support paying living wages – especially since many, many, many businesses do pay their employees living … Read more

In pictures: the trampolines and pets of Auckland after the storm

We asked, you delivered: shocking photos of the destruction and trauma visited upon the cats, dogs and trampolines of Auckland overnight.  A largely unheralded storm tore through Auckland last night, downing trees, power lines and much of the city’s electricity grid. Cats were scared, dogs were terrified, and many a trampoline was found up a … Read more

Internal Affairs to investigate charity linked to Albi Whale’s so-called AI, ‘Zach’

The department has confirmed it will look into the charity status of Terrible Foundation, following revelations in the Spinoff around the strange story of a purported supercomputer-powered artificial intelligence revolution in Christchurch The Department of Internal Affairs has launched an investigation into the Terrible Foundation, the registered charity linked to Zach, a supposed pioneering artificial … Read more

New to Lightbox in April: Handmaids, Russian spies and Helen Mirren

Alex Casey and Sam Brooks round up the new content coming to Lightbox this month, including the highly anticipated return of The Handmaid’s Tale, Russian spies in wigs and Helen Mirren’s career-defining role! The Handmaid’s Tale S2 (April 26) The last we saw of Offred and the gals, a cute way of characterising a group of women … Read more

Do not change your clocks: NZ Daylight Saving shift fails due to ‘algorithm error’

Prime minister promises inquiry after so-called #clockup sees New Zealand time today unexpectedly remain exactly 24 hours after it was yesterday Daylight saving was first introduced in New Zealand in 1927, and while the innovation has faced its detractors over the years, its implementation has gone without a hitch. That all changed in the early … Read more

On The Reg livestream highlights: Sea of Thieves

Back by lukewarm demand, On The Reg is The Spinoff’s regular gaming session streamed live! This highlights package sees Sam Brooks and Rhys Mathewson play Sea of Thieves, the highly anticipated game from Rare Studios, make the ill-advised decision to play it solo, and somehow manage to have fun anyway? This post, like all our gaming … Read more

In plain sight: the women who shared their Pavement stories, in their own words

In this podcast companion to the Spinoff investigation into the NZ magazine Pavement, two of the women at the centre of the story speak with Noelle McCarthy about their experiences. Today the Spinoff published a story, five months in the making, which details multiple claims of predatory behaviour by men who owned and worked for Pavement, … Read more

The best of The Spinoff this week

Bringing you the best weekly reading from your friendly local website.  David Farrier: The clamps fall silent: a eulogy for Bashford Antiques “The reign of Bashford Antiques is over. Part of Auckland’s antique scene for decades, it will perhaps be more fondly remembered as a key player in Auckland’s car clamping scene. Countless New Zealanders fell … Read more

New to Lightbox this month: Sunny times in Philadelphia, more Harvey Specter… and Caitlin Moran

Alex Casey and Sam Brooks round up the new content coming to Lightbox this month, including some sunny Philadelphians, Harvey Specter’s return and Lightbox’s first original content ever! It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Seasons 9-12 arrive March 15) They’re the worst people on TV – and some of the funniest. If you’ve missed the show for the … Read more

Spinoff and RNZ announce conscious coupling

The migratory patterns of New Zealand media content grow even more elaborate as RNZ and the Spinoff reveal their groundbreaking new deal. The juggernaut of quality New Zealand journalism is teaming up with friendly local website The Spinoff, it was announced today to nil fanfare. According to a media release from RNZ, both parties are delighted … Read more