Stories by Hayden Donnell
News
How the Listener magazine is beating the odds in NZ journalism
Cost-cutting in newsrooms lately has shrunk lifestyle sections, but RNZ's just launched with a new section online - and the new Listener magazine is changing its mix in print too.
Anxiety over editorial policy and a billionaire on board at NZME
Mediawatch - NZME's top brass now have a billionaire on board who wants control and maybe more far-reaching editorial change.
NZME plans new video channel amid news cuts
The NZ Herald's streaming video service will be part of a restructuring that included the loss of 30 journalists' jobs, but it's not clear whether it will pay off, Mediawatch reports.
High-profile journalists to go as NZME announces 30 job cuts
The New Zealand Herald owner is slashing roles across its newsrooms.
Mediawatch ranks media's best-of 2024 lists
Mediawatch: Christmas coincides with media tackling the gargantuan task of ranking everything humanity produced this year. Audio
Journalist barred from accountability event for holding people accountable
Mediawatch - An award-winning journalist dedicated to reporting abuse in state care was briefly banned from the official apology. Why? And what did he make of it?
The Post's owner signs up to new Wellington pressure group
Two top US papers copped backlash when billionaire owners interfered in election coverage. Mediawatch asks if the boss of Stuff could compromise her own company's coverage in Wellington.
Scam Facebook ads targeting media trust
Mediawatch - What's behind a sudden surge of scandalous social media posts co-opting news media names to make them look less dodgy?
Do people really want to hear good news?
Mediawatch - Humans have an inherent negativity bias. Do we really want feel-good news in not-so-good times?
Media getting the silent treatment from politicians
There are claims politicians are dodging media interviews - but the way the media handle them might be part of the problem. Video
Cutting through the spin - or not
The associate justice minister was put through through a tough examination on TVNZ's Q+A last weekend over past and present statements on guns laws. But not every minister's recent announcements on…
AudioMidweek Mediawatch - Herald denies Hobson's Pledge
In this week's edition of Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Emile Donovan about the Herald backing away from running another ad from Hobson's Pledge, a question going begging in the coverage…
AudioOnline misinformation, real world damage
A rancorous debate over an Olympic boxer and violent riots in the UK both trace back to rampant misinformation online - and one social media platform in particular.
AudioAI editorial puts spotlight on disclosure
A New Zealand Herald editorial written with the help of artificial intelligence has raised questions about how our media should use the technology for journalism - and how much their consumers should…
AudioHerald deploys AI for editorial, admits lack of rigour
The New Zealand Herald’s publisher NZME says it should have employed more “journalistic rigour” when it used artificial intelligence tools to create an editorial that appeared in the Weekend Herald…
AudioMidweek Mediawatch - punching below our weight
In this week's Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Emile Donovan about the Herald using AI to write an editorial - and delves into the media's disappointment over our lacklustre Olympic medal…
AudioA jarring return to media Earth for Air NZ
Air NZ has often had an easy ride from our media. But with domestic airfares spiking, that's starting to change.
AudioMidweek Mediawatch - Plaintive plane complaints
In this week's Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Emile Donovan about an emerging media consensus over our malfunctioning Defence Force aircraft, how rude words slipped though in music on…
AudioPopular podcast contradicts assumptions about attention spans
A journalist kicked out of his local café kicked off hot debate in the media this week, and Gen Z copped criticism in the middle of all that - and not for the first time. But the appetite for a…
AudioMidweek Mediawatch - changing stories on cancer drugs
In this week's edition of Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Emile Donovan about the government's latest reason for not funding 13 cancer drugs, a mammoth loss expected at TVNZ, AI faking the…
AudioShoddy statistics get the thumbs up emoji from media
Many media outlets reported interesting poll findings this week about using emojis at work. The only problem: the poll was almost meaningless, statistically-speaking. But it's far from the first time…
AudioMidweek Mediawatch - Justice for Herbertville
Midweek Mediawatch: Hayden Donnell and Emile Donovan apologise poetically to a small Tararua seaside settlement inadvertently insulted by RNZ online. Also: Stuff launches crime podcasts you pay for -…
AudioMedia oversight one-stop-shop stopped
A plan to update the system for regulating our media content has been running under the radar for years. Some agencies that do the job now have backed the move to one single body, but this week the…
Video, AudioTemplate responses help kill plans for online regulation
A proposal for online content regulation has been scrapped, with the government pointing to a mass of public submissions against the idea. But a closer look shows nearly all those submissions were…
Midweek Mediawatch - StuffHub takes shape
Midweek Mediawatch: Hayden Donnell talks to Emile Donovan about new hires for the upcoming Stuff-Newshub 6pm bulletin. Also - TVNZ and the journalists’ union face off over job cuts while the outgoing…
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