It’s been controversy upon controversy for the talkback station in recent weeks, so Alex Casey embarked on a Magic Talk marathon to find out what the hell is going on. It has just gone past 6am on a Friday morning. My eyelids are firmly welded shut, the sparrows have barely begun farting, and yet we’ve … Read more
It’s been controversy upon controversy for the talkback station in recent weeks, so Alex Casey embarked on a Magic Talk marathon to find out what the hell is going on. It has just gone past 6am on a Friday morning. My eyelids are firmly welded shut, the sparrows have barely begun farting, and yet we’ve … Read more
Less than a week after its shock decision to ban news, Facebook and the Australian government have the shape of an agreement to restore it. What just happened? Facebook has just announced that it will start the process of restoring news to its Australian platform, and allowing Australian publishers’ work to be viewable and shareable … Read more
The Australian legislation is crumby, but the response from Zuckerberg, in contrast to the Google approach, presents all sort of hazards, including to New Zealand, writes Hal Crawford. The widely anticipated yet almost unthinkable happened yesterday when Facebook banned all news links on its social network in Australia. At the same time, Google has been … Read more
If you’re across the ditch, you can no longer access our content via Facebook. Here’s how to ensure you don’t miss anything. In light of the news that Facebook has blocked news content for its users in Australia, here’s a reminder to our readers there – in fact anyone with an interest in news from … Read more
Duncan Greive analyses a shocking development in the global pushback against big tech. Subscribe and listen to The Fold via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast provider. At 7.38am today a short email arrived from Facebook News Partnerships. It contained a total of five sentences, the most important reading: “I am writing to confirm that due to … Read more
Over the past year, The Spinoff audience has grown dramatically. Founder and managing editor Duncan Greive explains what The Spinoff is, and how best to use it. The purpose of this note is to welcome those new and newish to The Spinoff, to show you around and generally help you understand what we’re about. Our … Read more
In this episode of The Spinoff’s media podcast The Fold, Duncan Greive is joined by New Zealander Hamish McKenzie, co-founder of Substack, to talk about a new era of publishing and Elon Musk. For years, the media landscape has been filled with publications making money by selling ad space. While that model has proved itself … Read more
From seemingly out of nowhere, the veteran tech giant has waded into the war between Facebook, Google and the Australian government – and may emerge the ultimate victor, writes Hal Crawford. The “big friendly giant” of the tech world, Microsoft, has shown in recent days it retains every bit of the cunning that has seen … Read more
New Zealand film-maker Roseanne Liang just brought her direct, funny and empathetic directorial voice to a big-budget American action thriller – Shadow in the Cloud, showing in cinemas in New Zealand now. She talks to Michelle Langstone about cosmic partnerships, her love of fight sequences, and how she inadvertently found herself caught up in a … Read more
Journalist Ali Mau joins Duncan Greive for a conversation about the first three years of Stuff’s MeTooNZ project, the challenges of publishing stories about alleged abuse and misconduct, and her 30-year career in the media. In 2017, the Me Too movement brought some of Hollywood’s elite crashing down under allegations of serious sexual abuse and … Read more
Less than a decade ago, Māni Dunlop was censured by RNZ for using Auckland’s Māori name on air. Today, she’s leading the public broadcaster’s coverage of Waitangi Day as its Māori news director. She talks to Michelle Langstone about how she got there. Māni Dunlop sweeps round the corner of the recording studios in Radio … Read more
The podcast all about books is back to discuss the best new titles to add to your 2021 reading pile. It’s the most exciting time of the year in the New Zealand book world as the Ockham New Zealand Book Award longlist has just been announced. We also have a line up of three New … Read more
Journalist Bernard Hickey joins host Duncan Greive for a wide-ranging chat about the challenges faced by New Zealand media and why he’s launched a new subscription-only daily email. First published November 6, 2020. Working at the intersection of politics and economics, Bernard Hickey is one of the most interesting and unique journalists in New Zealand … Read more
In the wake of the latest round of flagrant racism, some believe it’s time the format was completely written off. Alex Braae argues that talkback has so much more to give than audiences are currently getting. If you think talkback radio in New Zealand is only ever an unremitting stream of bigotry and outrage, you’ve … Read more
It’s easy to sacrifice John Banks. It’s a lot harder for brands, sports organisations and government to truly stop funding racism. Are they willing to try? Yesterday John Banks, the former Auckland mayor and MP, became subject to one of the fastest firings in media history when audio covering his approving response to a racist … Read more
John Banks’ racist exchange with a Magic Talk listener on Tuesday was the latest in nearly 50 years of talkback scandals involving the hosts of radio talkback shows. Donna Chisholm has the receipts. John Banks axed over Māori ‘stone age culture’ comments on Magic Talk 1972: On Radio I, sports talkback host Tim Bickerstaff launches … Read more
Vodafone and Kiwibank have suspended advertising on the radio station and its website as talkback host John Banks is taken off air after yet another racist outburst. Alex Braae reports. In an alarming segment of talkback radio, former Auckland mayor John Banks endorsed the views of a caller who described Māori as a “stone age … Read more
Summer reissue: The Fold’s very first guest is back to tell Duncan Greive how she pulled off the media deal of the year. The chaotic couple of weeks which finally saw the end of the Stuff-NZME saga were riveting and strange, replete with stock exchange announcements, legal challenges and finally the acquisition of New Zealand’s … Read more
Tackling topics such as rugby and body image, Stuff’s latest podcast shines a much-needed light on Aotearoa’s complex relationship with masculinity, writes Trevor McKewen, author of the book Real Men Wear Black. I wasn’t sure what to think when two episodes of the new local podcast He’ll Be Right landed in my inbox. My daughter … Read more
Can you figure out which of the above is the real Jacinda Ardern? Probably! But one day, that might not be true. There are many reasons to believe the internet shouldn’t exist. Social media empires exerting, intentionally or not, their control over sovereign governments. Baby Shark. Your aunt on Facebook. It pains me to give … Read more
Think twice before you accept that surprise school reunion invite, writes Chris Schulz. It started with a Facebook notification. A school reunion was being organised. It sounded fun, with a fancy dress party set to be held in the city where I grew up, Whanganui. I hadn’t seen some of my old school buddies for … Read more
Summer reissue: Our feminist webseries On the Rag returns to dissect representation in the media and who is still being left behind when you turn on the telly. First published July 22, 2020. Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded by its members – click here to learn … Read more
In the wake of the Capitol invasion and riot, a Twitter-based, crowd-sourced effort to uncover the perpetrators’ identities swung into action. Dylan Reeve explains how Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) works, and who it’s helped bring to justice so far. The recent events in Washington DC were significant for many reasons, but one was how well … Read more
Summer reissue: The associate editor of The Indian News joins host Duncan Greive to discuss his belief that New Zealand’s media ignores the quarter of our population not born here – and why both parties lose as a result. First published July 31, 2020. Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. … Read more
Summer reissue: As the American media giant comes under fire for its treatment of POC contributors, it’s time to talk about the whiteness of food media in Aotearoa, say Jean Teng and Charlotte Muru-Lanning. First published June 13 2020 A wave of consciousness around racism is sweeping the globe at the moment. Protests that started … Read more
Summer reissue: Last night New Zealand witnessed one of the most exhilarating, confronting political stories to air on national television. Hayden Donnell has watched it several hundred times. First published May 27, 2020 Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded by its members – click here … Read more
Summer reissue: Todd Scott made millions as a sales genius, and bought New Zealand’s best-known business publication. Then he lost his house. Duncan Greive profiles the country’s most enigmatic owner, and hears some blunt criticisms from the old friend he bought the paper off, Barry Colman. First published June 2 2020 Independent journalism depends on … Read more
North of 50 million posts were served up for your reading pleasure (and, let’s face it, sometimes, reading terror) across the year. As we bid farewell to 2020, here are the 20 that got clicked on the most, countdown style. 20 A better visual breakdown of the 2020 election results Remember the election? Neither. Here’s … Read more