RNZ’s previous plan to reach younger people collapsed in early 2020 after opposition to RNZ Concert cuts - and pushback from commercial broadcasters. This week RNZ fired up Tahi - a more modest effort for the under-served youth audience. What’s the plan this time?

The National Party has new leadership, after an intense focus on the outgoing leader Judith Collins. But while no-one will forget her in a hurry, the name of her successor still seems to confuse the media.

Opponents of the bipartisan bill aimed at enabling housing blitzed the media over the past few weeks. Many of the reports failed to include relevant context and balancing opinion.

Spotlight swings onto new National's new leader; an anti-intensification housing media blitz; RNZ's 'Tahi' - 'the one' for rangatahi?

In this week's edition of Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Karyn Hay about the barrage of tough questions that met Chris Luxon upon his ascent to the National leadership, a media acquisition, and the launch of a new youth service.

Late on Wednesday night’s not prime time for political news to break, but Judith Collins' late-night kneecapping of rival Simon Bridges kicked off the chain of events that left her on the backbenches - with the media following every step.

Groundswell took over about 70 centres nationwide - briefly and pretty peacefully - in last weekend’s Mother of All Protests. But the picture the media painted of who they really are and what they really want was confusing - and overlapping anger about the government and Covid-19 made the mix more murky.

The umbrella group representing locally-owned news media wants to negotiate with Facebook and Google for "fair payment” for the local journalism appearing on their services. Australian news media have struck substantial - but confidential and individual - deals with the tech titans - but a former news boss in both countries tells Mediawatch it may be a bad idea.

Bridges burned, Collins crushed, Reti takes the reins; Just fed-up farmers - or 'the radical right in gumboots'? ; New bid to get tech titans pay for NZ news.

In this week's Midweek Mediawatch, Hayden Donnell talks to Karyn Hay about a Cold War brewing between Newstalk ZB's political editor and the PM, misinformation in local papers - and the need for better oversight of opinion pieces.