The best of The Spinoff this week

Bringing you the best weekly reading from your friendly local website. David Farrier: The mystery of Zach, New Zealand’s all-too-miraculous medical AI An artificial intelligence bot called Zach is creating a stir in the medical community. A doctor in Christchurch is teaching it to write patient notes. An Otago professor has it interpreting ECG results. … Read more

200 years: How the gender gap is putting women centuries behind (WATCH)

Turns out, we’re still TWO HUNDRED YEARS from fully closing the economic gender gap. So we asked some of our Spinoff colleagues to cast their minds into the future. Each year The World Economic Forum produces a gender gap report which measures gender equality. The report looks at gender gaps across four thematic dimensions: Economic Participation … Read more

The best of The Spinoff this week

Bringing you the best weekly reading from your friendly local website.  Linda Clark: How the legal profession has excused and minimised the Russell McVeagh scandal “This shouldn’t need to be said, but young women drinking free alcohol is not the problem here. Yet that view has some powerful supporters. On Wednesday, the former solicitor general Mike … Read more

Kiwis of Snapchat: Simon Bridges celebrates his win

In our video series Kiwis of Snapchat, comedian Tom Sainsbury sources exclusive Snapchat footage of Kiwi citizens and luminaries making the news. Today, new National Party leader Simon Bridges takes a victory lap. Click here for all our Kiwis of Snapchat videos This section is made possible by Simplicity, the online nonprofit KiwiSaver plan that only … Read more

The best of The Spinoff this week

Bringing you the best weekly reading from your friendly local website.  Daniel Couch: Why aspiring National leader Mark Mitchell’s war-for-profit past matters “In several countries, such as the United States of America, it is commonplace for former soldiers to serve in the highest positions of elected office. In most of these instances that armed service has … Read more

The best of The Spinoff this week: Farewell then, Bill English

Bringing you the best weekly reading from your friendly local website.  Rebecca Stevenson: The rise and fall of CricHQ, the star-backed ‘Facebook for cricket’ With Stephen Fleming and Brendon McCullum among its founders, CricHQ capitalised on global interest in both cricket and cloud-based internet startups. It attracted a star-studded lineup of investors and seemed hugely successful, … Read more

Kiwis of Snapchat: Bill English, former leader of the National Party

In our video series Kiwis of Snapchat, comedian Tom Sainsbury sources exclusive Snapchat footage of Kiwi citizens and luminaries making the news. Today, Bill English looks to the future. Click here for all our Kiwis of Snapchat videos This section is made possible by Simplicity, the online nonprofit Kiwisaver plan that only charges members what it … Read more

The best of The Spinoff this week

Bringing you the best weekly reading from your friendly local website. Jacinda Ardern: ‘I want to be able to tell my child I have earned the right to stand here “And if we value that about ourselves as a nation 364 days of the year, why would we not value it here at Waitangi. I will … Read more

UnREAL finally returns and more coming to Lightbox in February

Alex Casey and Sam Brooks round up the new content coming to Lightbox this month, including UnREAL tackling… The Bachelorette?! The Good Doctor (available now) Look, it’s the number one network series in the States, Canada and Australia right now, so if you aren’t watching The Good Doctor then I’m sorry but everyone is secretly … Read more

Bob Jones and NBR divorce over ‘Māori Gratitude Day’ column

‘I shan’t bother writing any more for NBR,’ says Sir Bob Jones after his piece calling for Māori gratitude is deleted from the paper’s website. Toby Manhire and Duncan Greive report. Bob Jones will be filing no more for the National Business Review after the deletion of his most recent contribution, which included a call … Read more

The best of The Spinoff this week: Jacinda Ardern, Jeremy Wells and a Screaming Reels controversy

Bringing you the best weekly reading from your friendly local website. Leigh Hart: An open letter from Screaming Reels to our confused Australian neighbours “Many Australian viewers are suggesting that the broadcaster 7 Mate has mistakenly scheduled the programme at the wrong time, a time normally reserved for serious educational documentary programming. As far as … Read more

Kiwis of Snapchat: Bill and Paula’s crisis meeting

In our video series Kiwis of Snapchat, comedian Tom Sainsbury sources exclusive Snapchat footage of Kiwi citizens and luminaries making the news. Today, Bill English and Paula Bennett are getting just a little nervous…. Click here for all our Kiwis of Snapchat videos This section is made possible by Simplicity, the online nonprofit Kiwisaver plan that … Read more

The best of The Spinoff this week: fresh beginnings for Jacinda, Jeremy and the good old Spinoff

Bringing you the best weekly reading from your friendly local website. Annabelle Lee: Why Jacinda Ardern’s decision to spend five days at Waitangi is a really big deal “Every Waitangi it’s the same. The lack of gratitude shown by Māori at being among the poorest, sickest, most unemployed and incarcerated people in Aotearoa is an ongoing … Read more

Scrimping for beginners: The Spinoff’s top money saving hacks

Just living and breathing seems to cost money now. But don’t worry, we got you. We asked around the office and compiled the Spinoff’s tips for living a premium economy lifestyle on a discount economy income.  DO Shop at Reduced To Clear. Make sure to ask them what day their cans arrive and get there … Read more

Exclusive: Jeremy Wells to replace Mike Hosking as co-host of Seven Sharp

The Spinoff has learned who is set to replace Hosking on the TVNZ Show, and it turns out he’s a bit like Mike. Seven Sharp launches into 2018 at the start of February with an all-new line-up, after the tearful farewell of Toni Street and Mike Hosking last year. Hilary Barry was swiftly announced as … Read more

The Spinoff is hiring a reporter/editor

If you can write a snappier job ad than this, please consider the vacant situation at your friendly local website.  The Spinoff is hiring a general reporter/editor for a new role across our news and media coverage. The successful applicant will be an avid consumer of New Zealand journalism, and willing to work weird hours … Read more

Kiwis of Snapchat: Jacinda Ardern, pregnant PM

In our video series Kiwis of Snapchat, comedian Tom Sainsbury sources exclusive Snapchat footage of Kiwi citizens and luminaries making the news. Today, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern isn’t feeling too great. Click here for all our Kiwis of Snapchat videos This section is made possible by Simplicity, the online nonprofit Kiwisaver plan that only charges members … Read more

A Clacinda or a Jark: what will the new first child of the nation look like?

The Spinoff Labs has deployed advanced machine learning and AI to come up with these images which accurately answer the critical question: what will the prime ministerial child look like? Prime minister Jacinda Ardern today announced her pregnancy via cute Instagram of two big fish hooks and a small fish hook. The reaction seems to have … Read more

The PM is preggers: Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford to have baby in June

Jacinda Ardern has announced via social media that she is hapu, and will be become a parent wwith partner Clarke Gayford in five months. “Clarke and I are really excited that in June our team will expand from two to three,” the prime minister has announced on social media. The announcement comes three months to … Read more

Pay me now: Small business owners on the battle to get what they’re owed

Our piece on the struggle to get paid resonated widely with small business owners. Here are their stories, and some tips, covering the endless fight to get invoices paid. A customer who had hired goods from me failed to return them, and ultimately I had to go and collect them. Not all of the goods were returned, … Read more

Intrepid summer road trip: Canterbury’s oldest cheese, clearest water and best secondhand shop

In the third part of a four piece series exploring places around Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, Beck Eleven finds hidden treasures and clear water, and Simon Day falls in love with Banks Peninsula. Read part one, on the great Auckland summer road trip, here. Read part two, on the where to go on a good … Read more

The greatest Golden Globes live blog you will see on The Spinoff today

We’ll be here from 12 pm to cover the highs and lows of the 2018 Golden Globe awards, for all of those who are stuck in the office pretending to work.  This television content is brought to you by Lightbox, home of Golden Globe-nominated shows such as The Handmaid’s Tale, Outlander, Mr Robot and Better … Read more

Kiwis of Snapchat – Summer Series: the secret phallic imagery in NZ movies

In our video series Kiwis of Snapchat, comedian Tom Sainsbury sources exclusive Snapchat footage of Kiwi citizens and luminaries making the news. In the second episode of our summer series, Cynthya Richardson explores the hidden meaning of NZ’s favourite works of art.