Organisers of an elite sports event with big-name backers stood accused of disrespecting Maori art and culture, sparking a strong social media response. It looked like a story with legs but only one programme picked up the ‘korowai controversy’ and ran with it. How come?

Leaving Neverland pulled in a huge audience for TVNZ this week but documentaries are few and far between on our main TV channels these days. Three new streaming services offering nothing but documentaries are hoping to lure subscribers here. Mediawatch asks the boss of the newest one about the gap in the market he’s hoping to fill.

The news media have made some mistakes - inevitably - covering the crisis on Christchurch since Friday, but applied essential standards and decency. It was a different story on social media platforms, whose owners now face demands to shift their focus from innovation to moderation.

Colin Peacock talks to Jim Mora about how the media responded to the news of the shootings in Christchurch and how they handled those who witnessed the awful events. Also: the vexed question of how to handle the disturbing and distressing material circulating on social media - and how the media overseas reported the tragedy from Christchurch.

Minister for regional development Shane Jones responded to a story pointing out he had participated in a meeting despite having declared a conflict of interest by calling the journalist who reported it a "bunny boiler". Mediawatch takes a look at the storm in a crock pot.

Mediawatch's midweek catch-up with Karyn Hay on Lately: This week Colin Peacock and Karyn talk about Aussie rugby league's PR nightmare; a new app and a radio station giving high school kids a voice; how the news 'found' a US woman ten years on - and some wretched responses to Leaving Neverland - and some better ones.

Mediawatch's midweek catch-up with Karyn Hay on Lately: This week Colin Peacock and Karyn talk about Aussie rugby league's PR nightmare; a new app and a radio station giving high school kids a voice; how the news 'found' a US woman ten years on - and some wretched responses to Leaving Neverland - and some better ones.

Seven senior Kiwi journalists from New Zealand's major news outlets spent a week in Hawaii late last year and produced just one story between them. It didn't cost their organisations a cent - the bill was picked by the US State Department. Mediawatch's Jeremy Rose takes a look at how foreign governments are attempting to influence the news agenda.

While TVNZ was clearing out four hours of prime time to air a heavily-hyped documentary about Michael Jackson's alleged crimes against children, radio networks here were quietly easing his music off the air.

Politicians spending taxpayers’ money freely always make a good story for the media. Exposure of their expenses can damage their reputation, but the same doesn’t apply to the those who over-react to the sums that they spend.