A mufti day is enormous fun. But time to give it a new name

Let’s disentangle the prized day of casual clothing from its colonial connotations, writes historian Katie Pickles. As another school year starts up around the country, getting into uniforms is compulsory for most pupils. It’s only the occasional mufti day that brings the chance to ditch the conformity. But little do most mufti day organisers and … Read more

12 months of upheaval, pain and pride: on watching New Zealand from afar

It is hard to remember a year in which New Zealand was so repeatedly in global headlines, writes Kamahl Santamaria, a Kiwi journalist based in Doha. Time zones are a strange thing. You go to sleep, and then for eight hours or so, you miss out on everything happening on the other side of the … Read more

The Crusaders had a chance to make a clean break. They flunked it

By changing the logo, the Super Rugby side is admitting that the brand is problematic – but they haven’t actually changed the crucially problematic bit, writes Jamie Wall. OK, so there’s finally been a bit of movement in one of the biggest rugby issues of the year. The only problem is it hasn’t gone very … Read more

Four months on from the Christchurch Call, small signs of meaningful change

The Christchurch Call initially seemed more like vague platitudes than a plan. Might the government’s diplomatic efforts actually result in something concrete emerging? Alex Braae assesses the latest developments.  The Christchurch Call was born out of tragedy. Footage of the March 15 attacks on worshippers at two Christchurch mosques was beamed around the world instantly … Read more

The Bulletin: A week of covering climate change

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Covering Climate Now week begins, hate crimes in focus six months after Christchurch attack, and scale of house flipping laid bare.  Over the course of this week, you’re going to see a lot of climate change coverage. The Spinoff will be one of the organisations participating … Read more

That this man is allowed to propagate hate from his prison cell is beyond grotesque

While awaiting trial for the murder of 51 Muslims in Christchurch, the man responsible for the March 15 terror attack has been permitted to send a hate-filled letter to far-right sympathisers. Does Corrections really not understand the potential for serious harm, internationally, if they fail to do their job to highest standards, asks Anjum Rahman. … Read more

John Sato: ‘I am not a bleeding heart or a do-gooder, but I can feel for people’

John Sato, a 95-year-old World War Two veteran, made international headlines when he took four buses to join an anti-racism march in central Auckland after the March 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks. This is his story. My name is John Edward Henry Sato. I am 95 years old. What brought me here? Well, they tell me it … Read more

Australian watchdog chides ‘excessive and gratuitous’ mosque attack coverage

The Australian Communication and Media Authority has identified ‘serious questions’ about the screening of images from the Christchurch terrorist attack, but declined to find a specific breach. Coverage of the Christchurch terrorism by Australia’s television channels raised “serious questions” about whether they had breached the television codes of practice, according to the broadcasting regulator, the … Read more

The Bulletin: Fresh footage revelations around Operation Burnham

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: More revealed about aftermath of Hit and Run raid, police delete social posts glorifying tactics to catch kids, and regional airports may be bailed out. Politicians were shown edited footage of the Hit and Run raid which throws into question the NZDF version of events, reports … Read more