Latest news with #Q+A
Sydney Morning Herald
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Who will win the Logies? And what will we all be mad about?
Another year, another Logies, another ceremony that probably won't end until midnight. So who is actually nominated, and what are we likely to be yelling about on Monday morning? Here's a cheat sheet for Sunday's 65th TV Week Logie Awards. Who is hosting? Sam Pang is returning for his third consecutive year, which cements him as a fixture for the event. The real question is: what big topics will he tackle in his opening monologue? Last year's targets included host network Channel Seven for its Bruce Lehrmann expenses controversy and Channel Ten for ongoing financial issues. You might think he'd have plenty to work with this year after the cancellation of The Project. But, speaking to TV Week, Pang has said, 'There won't be dancing on any graves.' Will that same courtesy be extended to Q+A and Neighbours (which Pang roasted in 2023 after its first brush with death)? Or Australian Survivor host Jonathan LaPaglia who was recently 'blindsided' from his own show? Pang has, however, confirmed there will be some ribbing of Hamish Blake, as the only man nominated for a Gold Logie. And I'm betting on some kind of self-deprecating commentary on his series, Sam Pang Tonight. The talk show, while nominated for best comedy entertainment program and renewed for a second season, has had an at-times rough response from audiences while finding its feet. You've gotta take what you give up there. Who's tipped to take the Gold? Lynne McGranger is widely considered the favourite this year. And don't feel too bad if you don't recognise that name – you probably know her as Irene from Home and Away. McGranger announced earlier this year that she is leaving the long-running soap after 33 years. Her final episode will air in just a few weeks, and Channel Seven – host of the Logies broadcast – has been giving fans a big push to direct votes the beloved actor's way. Loading Has McGranger really been the most popular personality on TV in the past year? A win could leave viewers scratching their heads. The other nominees include A Current Affair host Ally Langdon, MasterChef Australia contestant-turned-judge Poh Ling Yeow, the ABC's Lisa Millar, I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! host Julia Morris, Seven's Sonia Kruger and Lego Masters host Hamish Blake. Blake, the awkward male outlier who has taken the prize twice before, was quick to say how much he does not want to win. 'I think we all know what to do,' he told this masthead. 'And that isn't to make sure the lone, middle-age white guy gets it.' Which show has the most nominations? Netflix hit Apple Cider Vinegar has received eight nominations, including best miniseries and nods for most of the main cast. That includes US lead actress Kaitlyn Dever, who has achieved even greater fame in the recent The Last of Us. Telling the 'true-ish' story of Australian influencer and cancer conwoman Belle Gibson, the show won Dever huge praise for her mastery of the Aussie accent. The six-part series charted Gibson's rise and fall, condemning the 'wellness' culture that enabled her lies to thrive and revealing the impact it all had on real cancer patients. A 2017 book by Age journalists Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano served as inspiration for the show. And much of the plot followed two fictionalised journalists uncovering her 'large-scale deception'. In his three-star review for this masthead, critic Craig Mathieson noted there was 'a surplus of fine performances' including Essie Davis (Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries) as Gibson's mother and Ashley Zukerman (Succession) as her partner. The former did not cop a nomination, missing out to castmates Aisha Dee (The Bold Type) and Tilda Cobham-Hervey (I Am Woman). What other shows should I know about? Territory, another Netflix success story, follows Apple Cider Vinegar closely with seven nominations, including best drama, lead actress for Anna Torv and lead actor nods for Michael Dorman, Robert Taylor and Sam Corlett. Dubbed ' Dallas with dingoes', this outback drama was a global hit and had many fans confused when Netflix decided to can it earlier this year – especially considering the open-ended nature of the finale. If it sweeps the big awards, there will certainly be more questions asked about why we're not getting any more. In comedy, Kitty Flanagan's Fisk leads with five nominations, closely followed by Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer 's second season of Colin From Accounts and new US-set/Australian-made series Good Cop/Bad Cop starring Gossip Girl 's Leighton Meester and Australian Luke Cook (both of whom are nominated). Could this be Blair Waldorf's first Logie? Probably not, but boy it would be funny. Who is performing? Jimmy Barnes will be the main musical entertainment on the night. This is a big year for the Cold Chisel frontman, as he's celebrating the 40th anniversary of his For the Working Class Man album with a tour that kicks off in November. He's also released a new album, Defiant, which topped the ARIA chart in June, and will star in a documentary about his life premiering at the Melbourne International Film Festival. Expect a big response from the crowd. The star has overcome some serious health challenges including open-heart surgery in late 2023, and is still putting on five-star shows. Are any Hollywood celebs going? Loading Remember when Joan Rivers got up on stage in 2011, yelling 'I don't know why the f--- I'm here'? Sadly, I don't think we'll have any such events this time around. There are nominations for overseas stars – Dever (Apple Cider Vinegar), Sally Phillips (Austin), Meester (Good Cop/Bad Cop), Clancy Brown (Good Cop/Bad Cop) – but it seems none will attend. Among presenters announced so far, all are local, among them Kitty Flanagan, Hamish Blake, Leigh Sales, Ray Martin, Sophie Monk and Tom Gleeson.
The Age
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Who will win the Logies? And what will we all be mad about?
Another year, another Logies, another ceremony that probably won't end until midnight. So who is actually nominated, and what are we likely to be yelling about on Monday morning? Here's a cheat sheet for Sunday's 65th TV Week Logie Awards. Who is hosting? Sam Pang is returning for his third consecutive year, which cements him as a fixture for the event. The real question is: what big topics will he tackle in his opening monologue? Last year's targets included host network Channel Seven for its Bruce Lehrmann expenses controversy and Channel Ten for ongoing financial issues. You might think he'd have plenty to work with this year after the cancellation of The Project. But, speaking to TV Week, Pang has said, 'There won't be dancing on any graves.' Will that same courtesy be extended to Q+A and Neighbours (which Pang roasted in 2023 after its first brush with death)? Or Australian Survivor host Jonathan LaPaglia who was recently 'blindsided' from his own show? Pang has, however, confirmed there will be some ribbing of Hamish Blake, as the only man nominated for a Gold Logie. And I'm betting on some kind of self-deprecating commentary on his series, Sam Pang Tonight. The talk show, while nominated for best comedy entertainment program and renewed for a second season, has had an at-times rough response from audiences while finding its feet. You've gotta take what you give up there. Who's tipped to take the Gold? Lynne McGranger is widely considered the favourite this year. And don't feel too bad if you don't recognise that name – you probably know her as Irene from Home and Away. McGranger announced earlier this year that she is leaving the long-running soap after 33 years. Her final episode will air in just a few weeks, and Channel Seven – host of the Logies broadcast – has been giving fans a big push to direct votes the beloved actor's way. Loading Has McGranger really been the most popular personality on TV in the past year? A win could leave viewers scratching their heads. The other nominees include A Current Affair host Ally Langdon, MasterChef Australia contestant-turned-judge Poh Ling Yeow, the ABC's Lisa Millar, I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! host Julia Morris, Seven's Sonia Kruger and Lego Masters host Hamish Blake. Blake, the awkward male outlier who has taken the prize twice before, was quick to say how much he does not want to win. 'I think we all know what to do,' he told this masthead. 'And that isn't to make sure the lone, middle-age white guy gets it.' Which show has the most nominations? Netflix hit Apple Cider Vinegar has received eight nominations, including best miniseries and nods for most of the main cast. That includes US lead actress Kaitlyn Dever, who has achieved even greater fame in the recent The Last of Us. Telling the 'true-ish' story of Australian influencer and cancer conwoman Belle Gibson, the show won Dever huge praise for her mastery of the Aussie accent. The six-part series charted Gibson's rise and fall, condemning the 'wellness' culture that enabled her lies to thrive and revealing the impact it all had on real cancer patients. A 2017 book by Age journalists Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano served as inspiration for the show. And much of the plot followed two fictionalised journalists uncovering her 'large-scale deception'. In his three-star review for this masthead, critic Craig Mathieson noted there was 'a surplus of fine performances' including Essie Davis (Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries) as Gibson's mother and Ashley Zukerman (Succession) as her partner. The former did not cop a nomination, missing out to castmates Aisha Dee (The Bold Type) and Tilda Cobham-Hervey (I Am Woman). What other shows should I know about? Territory, another Netflix success story, follows Apple Cider Vinegar closely with seven nominations, including best drama, lead actress for Anna Torv and lead actor nods for Michael Dorman, Robert Taylor and Sam Corlett. Dubbed ' Dallas with dingoes', this outback drama was a global hit and had many fans confused when Netflix decided to can it earlier this year – especially considering the open-ended nature of the finale. If it sweeps the big awards, there will certainly be more questions asked about why we're not getting any more. In comedy, Kitty Flanagan's Fisk leads with five nominations, closely followed by Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer 's second season of Colin From Accounts and new US-set/Australian-made series Good Cop/Bad Cop starring Gossip Girl 's Leighton Meester and Australian Luke Cook (both of whom are nominated). Could this be Blair Waldorf's first Logie? Probably not, but boy it would be funny. Who is performing? Jimmy Barnes will be the main musical entertainment on the night. This is a big year for the Cold Chisel frontman, as he's celebrating the 40th anniversary of his For the Working Class Man album with a tour that kicks off in November. He's also released a new album, Defiant, which topped the ARIA chart in June, and will star in a documentary about his life premiering at the Melbourne International Film Festival. Expect a big response from the crowd. The star has overcome some serious health challenges including open-heart surgery in late 2023, and is still putting on five-star shows. Are any Hollywood celebs going? Loading Remember when Joan Rivers got up on stage in 2011, yelling 'I don't know why the f--- I'm here'? Sadly, I don't think we'll have any such events this time around. There are nominations for overseas stars – Dever (Apple Cider Vinegar), Sally Phillips (Austin), Meester (Good Cop/Bad Cop), Clancy Brown (Good Cop/Bad Cop) – but it seems none will attend. Among presenters announced so far, all are local, among them Kitty Flanagan, Hamish Blake, Leigh Sales, Ray Martin, Sophie Monk and Tom Gleeson.
1News
5 days ago
- Business
- 1News
'Call me Mr Cash Man': MP seeks protection for hard currency
Self-proclaimed cash advocate and MP Jamie Arbuckle believes his proposed law protecting hard currency transactions is about more than accessibility — it's also about privacy and preventing "Big Brother" surveillance. The New Zealand First MP's members' legislation, the Cash Transactions Protection Bill, would require vendors to accept cash up to the value of $500, with no limits on the amount of cash that must be accepted for essential items like fuel and food. 'There's a real concern across New Zealand that we're becoming a cashless society, and we've got a lot of people who depend on cash,' the MP told Q+A. He said that particularly applied to people living in rural areas, the elderly who are more comfortable using cash than digital systems, and those on low incomes. A self-professed fan of using cash, Arbuckle said, 'cash is king, and you can call me Mr Cash Man if you like.' ADVERTISEMENT 'I've got to tell you right now, I don't like walking into a shop and not being able to pay cash for a coffee.' Composite image by Vania Chandrawidjaja (Source: iStock/1News) But he said in an increasingly digital world, there was a more serious point to be made about the ability to make anonymous payments. 'People are telling me they want to have the ability to use cash, it's a freedom of choice issue.' 'It's really the only true way of having privacy in a transaction. You don't get that with electronic payments. There's always the concern that Big Brother or someone is able to look at where you've been, what you've purchased, so the majority of people have been very positive about protecting cash use.' A Reserve Bank survey released in June 2025 found that — while electronic and debit card use was by far the most common method of making payments — a significant minority of the country continued to use cash regularly. Around 46% of respondents said they used cash 'to pay for everyday things', down slightly from 48% which an equivalent survey found in June 2023. ADVERTISEMENT The survey also found a majority had used cash at least once in the seven days preceding the survey being taken, with approximately 33% of respondents saying they hadn't used cash in the last week, and a further 3.6% saying they would never use cash. Further research undertaken last year by the Reserve Bank found Kiwis value being able to use physical cash. Director of money and cash Ian Woolford said, '84% of respondents were worried about losing access to banknotes and coins, and want assurance that cash will still be issued by the Reserve Bank and not reduced or replaced by digital cash.' 'We'll keep issuing cash for as long as New Zealanders want to use it," he said in December. "We're doing a lot of work to redesign the cash system, including helping retailers through community cash services trials next year in several rural communities lacking over-the-counter bank or ATM services.' Some businesses have moved to being cash-free, but Arbuckle said in his view, it couldn't be an opt-in and opt-out system. 'The majority of businesses hold cash, so we're only talking about a small amount of businesses that would have to change. ADVERTISEMENT "Cash is legal tender, and you should be able to purchase with cash.' He said if the bill is pulled out of the member's bill biscuit tin, he'd welcome feedback from businesses that might be affected during the select committee process. Q+A with Jack Tame is made with the support of New Zealand On Air
1News
23-07-2025
- Politics
- 1News
'Many' link Govt's emergency housing policy to homelessness rise
Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka has acknowledged reports of rising homelessness but says it's "not just down to one thing" as he defends the Government's tougher rules for emergency housing. Potaka was grilled on the issue on Q+A, where he conceded the changes to increase scrutiny for emergency housing support applicants have been "reported by many" as contributing to making more people homeless. When asked directly whether the policy changes had contributed to leaving more people homeless, the minister said: "That's a very strong view that many people have." But Potaka refused to make that connection himself, instead attributing claims of a link to "anecdotal" reports and what others had reported. Person helps person up (file image). (Source: ADVERTISEMENT "There's a range of factors that influence [homelessness], and the changes to the emergency housing policy have been reported by many people as being a contributor." The Government introduced tougher eligibility for emergency housing last year, including scrutiny of whether people had "unreasonably contributed" to their own housing need. When interviewer Jack Tame suggested the policy could've "put more people on the street", Potaka said: "Those are the things that we have acknowledged that there are some challenges, and we are responding to those with agility." His office later clarified to Q+A this did not mean the Government was actively considering changing emergency housing settings. Reacting to the minister's interview, the Greens said he was "refusing to take any accountability" for the outcomes of the harsher policies. Govt's policies 'very, very harsh', providers tell minister Speaking to Q+A, the minister confirmed an updated briefing on homelessness from the Housing and Urban Development Ministry had found rough sleeping had increased "in some areas". He insisted the rises may be down to a range of factors. ADVERTISEMENT Tougher emergency housing rules and two-strike warning policy for tenants has meant more young people on the streets, says charities. (Source: 1News) Potaka said the latest insights briefing he had received showed "there's a whole range of potential causes, including that, but a whole range of other things", such as mental health, addiction, cost of living, and other physical health issues. "It does recognise, throughout the country, there are community housing providers [and] councils who are saying, hey, there's a big, big challenge with homelessness." Some providers had described the emergency housing policy as "harsh", Potaka said. "They report that the emergency housing policy is very, very harsh. That's what some of the anecdotal reports are saying." The associate minister said he would release the homelessness insights report "soon", but did not provide a specific timeframe. Potaka maintained there were multiple factors behind rising homelessness: "What they're saying is we've got a whole range of causes." Labour has been pressuring the Government over the report earlier this week. ADVERTISEMENT The senior minister spoke to Q+A's Jack Tame. (Source: Q and A) Housing Minister Chris Bishop denied that homelessness and rough sleeping were rising as a result of the Government's changes in a Q+A interview in March. 'Refusing to take responsibility' - Greens on interview Reacting to Potaka's interview, the Greens' housing spokesperson Tamatha Paul said the Government needed to "admit" that its policy was increasing homelessness. "This Government has cut back on public housing, slashed emergency housing access, and is refusing to take any accountability or responsibility for the impact this is having on the rising rates of people being forced to live on the streets, in tents and in cars." The coalition rolled out changes for emergency housing eligibility in early to mid-last year, including a tougher approach to allowing people into homes in the first place. People seeking support would face greater scrutiny, more requirements for information, and to prove they hadn't themselves "contributed" to their needs for emergency housing. ADVERTISEMENT At the time, officials warned the Government that the changes risked putting more people into situations of rough sleeping. Q+A's Whena Owen takes a look at changes to emergency housing and public housing policy. (Source: 1News) "Making these changes ahead of significant increases to the supply of affordable housing and more preventative wraparound supports does create a risk of increased levels of rough sleeping, people living in cars and overcrowding," they told ministers at the time. Target met but concerns remain Potaka defended the policy changes, saying the Government had also met its target to reduce emergency housing numbers by 75%. The policy intended to move people from emergency housing facilities, such as motels, to more stable housing. "We set up a target. That target was to reduce the number of whānau and households living in emergency housing. We've reached the target, but we've also recognised there are still some challenges and some issues," he said. The associate minister said tracking of people leaving emergency housing had improved, with the Government now knowing where "85-86%" of people went. ADVERTISEMENT "When we came into administration, the teams knew where around 50% of people were going. Now we know that there is about 85-86% of where people are going. In my view, that's actually good progress," he said. Govt not actively considering changes to tougher rules In a subsequent statement, the associate minister clarified to Q+A that this did not mean changes were coming to the Government's policy on emergency housing. "Emergency housing remains available for those in genuine need, and the causes of homelessness are not just about housing," a spokesperson for Potaka said. "A long-term response to the complexities requires consideration across multiple portfolios, for example helping people to face physical or mental health and addictions challenges, they might need help learning financial skills like budgeting, or help connecting and working with support services. "In the housing portfolio, $500 million in funding goes into programmes to help people, for example through the Housing First programme. "To help increase the amount of affordable housing, Budget 2024 allocated $140 million for 1500 new social housing places to be operated by community housing providers. ADVERTISEMENT "The Government has also accelerated $200 million into Māori housing projects across the country that will enable the delivery of 400 affordable rentals in high-need areas." In his Q+A interview, Potaka was also questioned about his conservation portfolio and how changes to smoking laws would affect Māori. For the full interview, watch the video above Q+A with Jack Tame is made with the support of New Zealand On Air
Scoop
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Mediawatch: Ministers' 'Helpful' Handouts Go Multimedia
, Mediawatch Presenter "Dear Prime Minister: the rise in crime and antisocial behaviour since COVID 19 struck is stark and confronting. We ask that you please take urgent action to support recovery and retain our reputation as a safe city and country." That was the message of a full-page ad in the Weekend Herald placed by groups representing Auckland businesses, accusing the government of failing to act on past promises. It was almost identical to a similar plea to a previous PM four years ago. The following day the current PM was the target of another open letter advert in the Sunday papers. This one - placed by electricity retailers, users and Consumer NZ - called on him to fix "a broken energy sector". That campaign also featured on TVNZ's Q+A show the same day, and in a front-page New Zealand Herald story the next day, the Minister of Energy - the aptly named Simon Watts - acknowledged our electricity market was "not functioning as well as it should". But it's not the first time that he's been singled out by a lobbying campaign in public. In June, pro-electrification group Rewiring NZ deployed AI animation to turn him into a superhero in ads that urged the public to make it an election issue - and it used a billboard near the Beehive to make sure that he didn't miss it. TVNZ's Q+A said lobby groups like Federated Farmers and the Sensible Sentencing Trust had used the same spot for the same reason in other campaigns. But do ministers targeted by these ads even notice them? "Yes, I do. On the way to the airport, out of Parliament and down onto the quays there - it's pretty hard to not to," National's Chris Bishop told TVNZ's Whena Owen. But are campaigns singling out individual politicians in public really effective? Most ministers are also lobbied behind the scenes by the same special interest groups. Being hectored publicly as well could make them more inclined to dig in rather than give in. "Lobby groups have always taken out ads in newspapers. Now they're moving it to digital billboards which can be up longer and can be cheaper," said Dr Claire Robinson, the author of Promises, Promises: 80 years of Wooing New Zealand Voters. "They can be located at traffic lights where ministerial cars have to stop. It's probably a really good way of getting something under the nose of a cabinet minister who may not open the newspaper anymore in the morning to see it there." "If you want to lobby a minister now you've got not only print, radio and TV - and you've got your own channels, social media and even LinkedIn posts. There's a complete industry in being able to disseminate your messages, hoping that one of them is going to get through," Dr Robinson told Mediawatch. Politicians going multimedia Politicians aren't shy about getting their own messages out to the media either - and have specialised staff to do it. Journalists' email inboxes are clogged with media statements from ministers and MPs hoping that their comments will make it into the media's coverage. And now they are going multimedia too. Last weekend reporters got video of the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio greeting Winston Peters, along with a media statement, after an ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Malaysia, which was attended by Peters. NZ First posted that footage on Facebook on the day of the meeting - and then there was another version last Tuesday featuring Peters looking statesmanlike, with a TikTok-type soundtrack added. The same day the streaming show Herald Now ran the Rubio footage during an interview with Peters. Should media be wary of airing images hand-picked by ministers' staff? "Yes, because by using it they're essentially using party generated pictures and feeding the beast - and exacerbating the rule-breaking of political parties," Dr Robinson told Mediawatch. "Anything that is generated through party social media channels really needs to be stopped at the door. "But at the same time the media loses all perspective when a PM or foreign minister meets a US president or Secretary of State. In 2014, photos of John Key playing golf with Obama were splashed across the newspapers . . . and nobody asked who took the photos back then." MPs offering mp3s Recently reporters have also received sound bites from ministers along with standard media statements. Last week, Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee announced anti-money laundering law changes to make managing property easier through family trusts. The release included a minute-long MP3 clip of her reading out some of the key points - and 'video on request'. In June her office also sent three separate sound bites about the 'Three Strikes' law coming into force. Why send selected comments rather than allow reporters to record their own in a media conference in the usual way? "Quite often we'll put out a media release, then we get all the phone calls looking for a grab. Why not give a grab ourselves?" McKee told Mediawatch. RNZ's reporters in the press gallery in Parliament told Mediawatch they wouldn't use audio supplied under those circumstances. "I believe it has been picked up by a couple of radio stations but I haven't actually tracked it myself." ACT leader David Seymour has spoken about bypassing the media because they "abuse their power to edit" and refused to allow ACT's ministers to appear on RNZ's Morning Report. He's even appealed for funds from ACT supporters to fund his own online media channels. Is McKee supplying audio comments as a substitute for interviews or media conferences at which she could be challenged or questioned by reporters? "That's not the reason. It's actually realising that our media are quite stretched - for time and for people," McKee told Mediawatch. On that issue of the family trusts and anti-money laundering laws, McKee was interviewed by RNZ news after sending out the statement and audio. "I've always made myself available to the media. Should they want a sound grab directly, I'm happy to give it. We just thought that this would help the media, especially if they do have those tight deadlines. And of course some have less staff now." "It doesn't take me long to add a couple of 10-second sound bites to the media releases we put out. And of course if it is being picked up then it is useful to some. So we'll continue to do it." McKee says she hasn't tracked which media outlets have used the supplied audio. Another minister handing out sound bites with media statements lately is Associate Minister of Transport James Meager. "Now is the perfect time to look ahead toward building a resilient maritime economy for future generations," he said in mid-June, announcing pumped-up investment in navigation services for shipping. One week later, Meager sent out three more sound bites, about a funding boost for lifesaving. Meager credits his press secretary, former Newstalk ZB journalist Blake Benny. "He came to me with the idea that if we include some audio grabs with our press releases, it makes the job of producers and radio reporters so much easier," Meager told Mediawatch. If so, it might mean not having to answer questions about contestable claims made in statements - or confront contradictions? "There's always the option for journalists who want to ring up and press on some of the details in those press releases. I'm always happy to take interviews. The only time I decline would be if it's outside my portfolio or if I literally can't do them." Few ministers ever issue statements on matters outside their portfolio - and Meager declined to say which outlets had broadcast his recorded statements. More to come? Before he became an MP, he set up an online archive of political ads - - with partner Dr Ashley Murchison, an expert who wrote a PhD about responses to political ads. Some of Nicole McKee's recent media statements said video was available on request as well. Meager doesn't offer that - yet. "But if we had the resources and that made people's lives easier then it might be something that we look into. I used to work as a press secretary and I think I wish I'd been smart enough to think of this six years ago," he told Mediawatch. But he says he and other ministers will be offering the media more multimedia stuff in future. "I'm doing a couple (of soundbites) this weekend for a couple of announcements we're making in the top of the South so hopefully they'll be picked up. In the weekend when staffing levels are lower, that might be a little bit helpful too." Exploiting a week spot "Political parties have always used new technology to try and get their messages across - even going back to Michael Joseph Savage in 1938 when he used film, which was a new technology back then," Dr Claire Robinson told Mediawatch. "I think that the politicians hope that the time-poor media will just insert (the content) into coverage. But there's something deeper going on here because they're exploiting the whopping decline in journalism employment," said Dr Robinson, who is also the current chief of Toi Mai / the Workforce Development Council, which published a development plan for journalism in 2024. "That decline is because of government-enabled inaction or policies that have seen that advertising money that used to sustain news media organisations go offshore. In the old days (they) would have more scrutiny and political parties are now exploiting that gap and creating their own media." Bending the rules for funding the ads In a recent piece for The Post, Dr Robinson said the public pays for political parties' digital media messaging - but shouldn't be paying for some of it. "The rules are really clear. You can only electioneer using public funds in the three months prior to an election campaign. The rest of the time parties are enabled to create information, but not to electioneer with social media," Dr Robinson told Mediawatch. She says the NZ First party publishing footage of Winston Peters in Malaysia as foreign minister on social media is an example of the problem. "It has their party logo and is using Peters' role in his capacity as Minister of Foreign Affairs for party purposes. It doesn't say 'Vote for NZ First' but the boundaries are blurred. It is really saying our leader is a great leader because he can create amazing relationships with people."
