John McLean: New Zealand left's extreme difficulty with violence

Radio New Zealand’s highly selective approach to violence

I’ve just listened to Radio New Zealand’s 6pm news. That news segment covered various items; flooding in Bali, the Maori Party disingenuously purporting to distance itself from Takuta Ferris’ brazen racism…other minor stuff.

What RNZ’s news bulletin studiously did not cover is the killing of a prominent American political and social commentator named Charlie Kirk, a decidedly newsworthy event in the Western world. Kirk has been shot dead within the last day.

John McLean: Shadow Boxing Report On Radio New Zealand

A report with whopping willful blindness

In mid-August 2025, news emerged of a report on the performance of “RNZ National”, Radio New Zealand’s 24/7 “flagship” broadcast channel that includes Morning Report (6am – 9am, weekdays) and RNZ’s Saturday Morning show.

JC: Oh Dear, Never Mind

Spring is upon us but that doesn’t seem to be the case at Radio New Zealand, where the joys of spring are noticeably absent. There is no spring in their step but instead a palpable air of mortification among the people they like to call their kaimahi (staff). As a result of Richard Sutherland’s report on the organisation, according to the Herald’s Media Insider, the kaimahi are harbouring hurty feelings and are distressed.

Mike's Minute: How did RNZ not know about this already?

You may have read a report commissioned by Radio NZ to look into why their operation has become such a dumpster fire.

It said a bunch of stuff that was obvious. One thing that surprised and saddened me though was that most people within that organisation thought radio was dying and audiences were bailing.

Peter Williams: Remember what the R in RNZ is for

If RNZ wanted a warts and all report on its failings and reasons for the catastrophic audience decline in the last five years it certainly received one this week.

The former Head of News for the organisation – a man who’s also had senior or supervisory roles in newsrooms at Newstalk ZB, TVNZ and Newshub – delivered a withering assessment of the state owned broadcaster.

Centrist: RNZ’s one-sided report on Ngāti Tukorehe flag vandalism....

Journalism or taxpayer-funded activism? RNZ’s one-sided report on Ngāti Tukorehe flag vandalism

From reporting to rallying cry

RNZ Māori news journalist Layla Bailey-McDowell reported that Ngāti Tukorehe’s flags were taken down in what the iwi described as a blatant and violent racist attack and an act of terrorism.

Mike's Minute: The real world is catching up to Radio New Zealand

Now, perhaps the most startling thing of the news yesterday that our old mates at the state radio broadcaster have opened a voluntary redundancy programme, is that they've never done that before.

100 years they've been doing the business at Radio New Zealand. 100 years, never had a voluntary redundancy. Tells you something about how insulated the real world from the real world they are.

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: Winston's attacks on RNZ aren't that shocking

Winston's in trouble with the opposition again, isn't he?

He's in trouble with the opposition - yet again, someone in the opposition's gone crying to daddy, calling on the Prime Minister to sort Winston Peters out.

I mean, last time this happened, it was because he was mean to old 'Bussy Galore'. This time, it's because he's threatened to defund Radio New Zealand.

A.E. Thompson: Radio New Zealand - Woke but never Broke

There was an interesting article in the Herald on 30 August about Radio New Zealand's nose-diving ratings and audience numbers. Its title in part was "Media Insider: RNZ’s radio ratings drop ‘a cause for soul-searching’ says CEO".

RNZ is fully funded through our taxes so doesn't have irritating advertisements, yet listeners are fast moving to commercial stations. RNZ's chief executive and others were reported offering various unlikely explanations such as the location of their operation and how large their office space is. No mention of one of the most likely explanations, that RNZ's constant use of te reo and focus on all things Maori are not what most people want to hear. The elephant in the room.

Dr Eric Crampton: RNZ remains on-form

There are a few basic bits of reality that I'd hope we could agree on.

Minister Costello has set a lower excise rate for heated tobacco products as a bit of a trial to see whether it proves successful in encouraging remaining smokers to flip to something less harmful.

Chris Trotter: More Than One Way To Skin A Cat.

Nobody has yet come up with a credible case for amalgamating Radio New Zealand and Television New Zealand. Even so, the merger proceeds apace, costing the taxpayer a ridiculous amount of money – to no good end. No one truly believes the quality of the broadcasting product will improve. The present audiences of both networks have longstanding gripes with the overall direction of their public broadcasters, but the response of those in charge has been to double-down on the very policies their audiences find most objectionable. With no clear rationale for the amalgamation of RNZ and TVNZ on offer, the cynicism of those who were formerly public broadcasting’s strongest defenders can only grow.

The pall of pessimism which has settled over those who still believe in the possibilities of public broadcasting has not been lifted by vague references to the need for a reliable source of public information. Citing the growing strength of the purveyors of misinformation and disinformation on social media, government mouthpieces have presented the new “entity” as the place where New Zealanders anxious to learn what’s really going on can go to for “the facts”. They are being encouraged to think of the new entity as a sort of beefed-up version of the Prime Minister’s infamous “podium of truth” during Covid.