A local ad agency’s “out-of-season April fool” was meant to go viral, grab the media’s attention and boost a brand of toothbrush. It didn't work.

A local ad agency’s “out-of-season April fool” was meant to go viral, grab the media’s attention and boost a brand of toothbrush. It didn't work.

Mixed messages on measles and cancer - among the 'news you can use'; an expat expert surveys the state of our media; spoof ad backfires on admen.

Mixed messages on measles and cancer - among the 'news you can use'; an expat expert surveys the state of our media; spoof ad backfires on admen.

Mediawatch's weekly catch up with Lately. Jeremy Rose talks to Karyn Hay about local body election coverage, David Byrne's new journalism venture, fires from Siberia to Indonesia, and the invisibility of women and children in the media.

Mediawatch's weekly catch up with Lately. Jeremy Rose talks to Karyn Hay about local body election coverage, David Byrne's new journalism venture, fires from Siberia to Indonesia, and the invisibility of women and children in the media.

Venture capitalists last month pumped $US 15.3 million into Substack - a start up the New York Times has described as "the new social network that isn't new at all." Mediawatch's Jeremy Rose talks co-founder Hamish McKenzie a Kiwi journalist now based in San Francisco.

Venture capitalists last month pumped $US 15.3 million into Substack - a start up the New York Times has described as "the new social network that isn't new at all." Mediawatch's Jeremy Rose talks co-founder Hamish McKenzie a Kiwi journalist now based in San Francisco.

Recent elections overseas were won by narrow margins amid claims voters were influenced by misleading messages injected straight into their social media feeds by political parties.  Is that what we should expect in the run-up to 2020? And why is the public picking up the bill for political ads that now have a bad name abroad?

Recent elections overseas were won by narrow margins amid claims voters were influenced by misleading messages injected straight into their social media feeds by political parties.  Is that what we should expect in the run-up to 2020? And why is the public picking up the bill for political ads that now have a bad name abroad?