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The PM’s State of the Nation speech got the media’s attention when he said welfare needs reform. He didn't mention record-level immigration but that’s also been deemed unsustainable and set for a reset too. What did the media tell about these problems - and what’s at stake?

Last week the great and good of New Zealand’s news media urged MPs to back a law change to make Google and Facebook pay them for their news. They say the income could be critical to the survival of journalism here. But the lobby group campaigning for better public media says there’s a better way to ‘send a lifeboat’. 

Government 'resets' immigration and welfare; another way to make Google and Facebook to pay for journalism; media milk Kiwi Swifties' stadium FOMO.

As the biggest pop star on the planet packed out huge Australian arenas this week, the media here milked Kiwi Swifties’ anger over missing out. It also aired confusing blame-game claims about why Swift gave New Zealand a swerve in the first place - and where the big gigs might be held in future.  

In this week's edition of Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Emile Donovan about the death of Efeso Collins, big conclusions drawn from conflicting polls -  and the problems with an old media adage.

A Herald headline this week said Auckland Transport was 'pushing on with $500,000 crossings'. The apparently outrageous expense was also aired on radio and in Parliament as evidence of the urgent need to reprioritise. But AT said the true cost was a fraction of what was reported.  

Media bosses warned MPs this week journalism is in jeopardy here if they don't back a Bill making offshore tech giants pay for news carried on Facebook and Google. It's based on laws already in place in Australia and Canada. Mediawatch asks the ex-editor leading the publishers' pitch how it might work.

Auckland's transport turmoil reports lack full facts; publishers pitch to Parliament to make Google and Facebook pay for their news.

Midweek Mediawatch: Colin Peacock talked to Emile Donovan about the Port Hills fire prompting another state of emergency; questions posed by two awkward interviews with political leaders - and the retail rat-astrophe in our supermarkets that suddenly surged to the top of the news agenda. 

In past years some media outlets were ambivalent about Waitangi Day - some even hostile at times. But new moves by the new government and a strong pushback from Māori gave it an extra edge this year. Some even called it historic and a possible turning point. How did the media depict all that?

Waitangi tensions test politicians - and the media; Why is Sky screening more top-dollar sport for free?

Sky TV became the big beast of pay TV by keeping a stranglehold on exclusive live rights to the country's most popular sports for paying subscribers. This week it suddenly announced top rugby, netball and league will soon screen in weekends free-to-air. Why?