Making It Make Sense - What Happened, and What We Need To Look Out For With Media

Until Nicola Willis used the phrase to describe her 2024 Budget, this phrase “It’s Always Darkest Before The Dawn” was one of comfort - and often - truth.

I think ultimately, it stands true - even if we don’t know how long a period of upheaval is.

People of the past didn’t want to experience many things that they did. And many now are going through hard times - some unbearably.

But the human spirit for self-determination and fighting for our values must prevail - for we have no other choice.

Regarding, the USA election - I believe that if Trump didn’t win, he would’ve tried to wage the battle through the courts. The US courts have nearly consistently sided with Trump over the last few years. And failing that, or in conjunction, I believe he and his supporters would have attempted civil upheaval and war if necessary. Atlas Network’s Project 2025 operatives said this election was a “must win”.

Today in New Zealand I’d like to focus on the media landscape¹ and explain why the signs are ominous, but outline what we can try to do.

Last week, we saw the development that TVNZ is aiming to cut another $30mn from its operations - i.e Breakfast and Seven Sharp is up for cuts.

But underneath that main headline, there was a lot more -

There are cuts to journalists e.g. TVNZ is firing their only Northland journalist and reducing the work of South Island journalists. They are firing reporters and producers from broadcasts.

Leaked documents reveal further cuts coming: more journalists fired, reduced camera operators, demoting the head of news, and firing several news bosses across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

The restructure will create some new roles, but according to Stuff, also potentially leave the newsroom with contenders such as Nevak Roger² - a TVNZ executive with limited newsroom experience.

Many TVNZ journalists feel all this will diminish the newsroom and the role of news journalism at TVNZ.

The upshot is: this is all another wrecking ball to TVNZ’s new service, resources and journalistic capabilities.

The net 50 role reduction will only save about $6-7mn according to Michael Woods - meaning more is to come.

And that weakness is going to diminish reporting and journalism across Aotearoa NZ more after Newshub’s demise - in a scene which is already heavily dominated by big money affiliates and corporate paid media.

TVNZ’s latest cuts were announced as Paul Goldsmith offered pay increases to Crown company directors - including TVNZ & RNZ - despite them already receiving pay increases last year.

Goldsmith:

“We decided that, actually, in terms of their overall performance, this is important – and that’s why we’re going to take the plunge and do it.”

His offer was reported in Newsroom yesterday (emphasis mine):

It’s understood TVNZ’s directors will get a 41 percent increase...Carruthers, as chair, will see his fees increase to $151,440 in 2026…

TVNZ and RNZ’s boards had already received fee increases last financial year. So their boards will get three consecutive large increases to their fees.

That’s a cumulative increase of 69 percent over two-and-a-half years for the TVNZ directors, and 75 percent for the RNZ directors

And although TVNZ’s directors have just announced they won’t accept it at this point (scoop: Newsroom’s Jonathan Milne), the offer to take the money is open to them anytime.

I can’t express how devastating this all is.

Journalism isn’t a simple feat at all if it’s done well - and like all things, it takes resources, intellect, vigour and money to run - in our world.

The other day - before these TVNZ announcements were announced, I read criticism of TVNZ from the left, and while I sympathise and don’t disagree at times (i.e. I shout at my TV screen too) - I continue to find myself in defence of what is left of our media landscape.

This is the definition of journalism per Wikipedia:

Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy.

And the Britannica notes its evolution in recent times:

In the second decade of the 21st century, social media platforms in particular facilitated the spread of politically oriented “fake news,” a kind of disinformation produced by for-profit Web sites ..

During the campaign for the U.S. presidential election of 2016 and after his election as president in that year, Donald J. Trump regularly used the term “fake news” to disparage news reports, including by established and reputable media organizations, that contained negative information about him.

TVNZ’s news demise is a boon for the right and all bad faith operators because it allows the cards to be stacked further to the right, and to those with the most money to create platforms (like the Wright Family did for Sean Plunkett) and with the money to buy placements and favourable coverage in existing media e.g. Stuff or NZ Herald.

So, even if TVNZ or RNZ aren’t “perfect” to my ears or eyes - anyone who is out there trying to get the word out on what is happening, and able and willing to publicly question politicians and hold them to account, is doing a public service in what is an increasingly narrow slice of media.

No-one in NZ saw these Breakfast segments on any other channel or show, that would have been produced with production teams, research, and intention:

Nor will we ever see that on Newstalk ZB or The Platform.

There’s a reason that Donald Trump and their ilk phrased the term “fake news” and delegitimises media that won’t bow to him -

This press release was from Jordan Williams from the NZ Taxpayers Union - an Atlas Network partner

So please - protect what is left of our media, if not with action, at least with awareness and intention of what’s at stake.

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BTW: I mentioned this before but will repeat it because it’s important:

On the USA election, the headlines leading up to it told us the competition was neck to neck.

Yet 2-3 days before, headlines across the world - including in NZ - repeated a headline that Harris was possibly ahead and it wasn’t that close.

This US election had 20 million less voters - due to multiple reasons but mostly because of voter apathy, no compulsory mail in vote cards (post-Covid), and a lack of enthusiasm for Harris.

What does a headline like the one above compound for anyone who considered voting for Harris?

Apathy.

But the power of placing media talking points at opportune times is clear isn’t it?

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TLDR: I support media but as long as it’s controlled behind the scenes by big money interests, we have to remain on guard - together.

Apparently John Key wasn’t an advocate of public interest journalism and with Trump’s win, told NZ that Trump was part of a “bigger movement” around the world.

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EXTRAS

I posted the below re: why the journalists and newsroooms that remain are precious and do an important public service - even if they’re not perfect to individual standards.

I wrote it days before TVNZ made their recent announcement and it is possible that as the government evolves, they will achieve their stated objective of changing our media landscape entirely and it all becomes moot.

But still - I hope people try to support those that still speak truth to power, and hold governments to account, because we need it more than ever.

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You May Have Missed:

1. There are so many other topics I want to touch on: Health NZ, Te Tiriti, Paul Goldsmith…

2. According to Stuff’s Simon Plumb, Roger made headlines this year, when, she posted photos, of herself with CEO Jodi O’Donnell at the Chateau Marmont, on a work trip to LA which cost TVNZ over $30,000 - days after Fair Go & Sunday were aired.