The media are playing a crucial role in the COVID-19 crisis - conveying quality information in context. But some are also amplifying opinions from pundits and presenters contradicting each other - and confusing people at a critical time. And are we hearing from the right kind of experts.

In 2017 the New Zealand media featured 14,349 stories that included the word Islam - nearly 13,000 of those stories mentioned either terrorism or Islamic Jihad. Mediawatch's Jeremy Rose talks to Karyn Hay about those figures and what it says about the media's attitudes to Muslims in the years leading up to the worst mass shooting in New Zealand's recent history.

In 2017 the New Zealand media featured 14,349 stories that included the word Islam - nearly 13,000 of those stories mentioned either terrorism or Islamic Jihad. Mediawatch's Jeremy Rose talks to Karyn Hay about those figures and what it says about the media's attitudes to Muslims in the years leading up to the worst mass shooting in New Zealand's recent history.

Physical attacks on our politicians are thankfully few and far between. Most in the media here resisted the temptation to cite increasingly confrontational culture around politics as a reason for the attack on James Shaw this week. Programme Code Topics politics, media, life and society, internet Regions Wellington Region Tags James Shaw, football, assualt, crime, social media

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.

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.