Hard News by Russell Brown

Read Post

Hard News: A cog in the Mediaworks machine

376 Responses

First ←Older Page 1 2 3 4 5 16 Newer→ Last

  • Russell Brown,

    Also: the promise that Glucina wouldn't impinge on the Mediaworks newsroom appears not have lasted long.

    She poached two of the newsroom's online journalists – this is on top of Francis Cook coming from Scoop (and fair enough and good luck to him). So they're throwing resources at this thing.

    Other online staff have quit, apparently because they're just a bit fucked off with it all. Paul Henry's show is now onto its third online editor. The days of TV3's news team having the lowest churn in the industry are very much gone.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie,

    Glucina's insistence that she's really a journalist rings about as hollow as Hosking claiming he's not one. It must be depressing to be one of the genuine journalists at TV3.

    Simon Day's story blames Weldon for bringing her to Mediaworks and one suspects his hand is behind some of the "names" lined up for the show. Like Paul Henry's daughter (I kid you not) who will host a Tinder dating show amusingly called Bella Finds a Fella. Surely Meet the Meat would have been catchier?

    Never one to undermine the self-importance of his office, Key senior will appear in something called Celebrity Mansions -- a little thank you for Glucina's trashing of Amanda Bailey perhaps?

    God help us all.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Deborah,

    She is very good at her job, forging sources prepared to leak her information.

    Forging! sources. I was gobsmacked at that, and I wondered for a moment if you had perhaps mistyped it, Russell. But those are exactly the words printed in the column.

    Did Simon Day really mean to say that she just makes things up?

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    There will be the usual pillaging of the social media production of local sportspeople and their significant others.

    Serious question: is this a skill that journalism schools should be teaching now - how to turn a tweet by Lorde or Jemaine Clement into a 300-word article?

    I'm all for a fun local gossip/showbiz news site, but it had better have some fresh local content, otherwise what's the point?

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Deborah,

    Did Simon Day really mean to say that she just makes things up?

    No, no. As in "forging links".

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • James Butler, in reply to Deborah,

    Forging! sources. [...] Did Simon Day really mean to say that she just makes things up?

    Or rather, puts people under relentless heat and pressure until they bend like putty in her hands.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2009 • 856 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Robyn Gallagher,

    I'm all for a fun local gossip/showbiz news site, but it had better have some fresh local content, otherwise what's the point?

    It'll have some, but I'm willing to bet it'll be the usual suspects.

    You need to be trusted and to rub shoulders with people who know what's going on to be a good gossip columnist. I thought Spy when Andy Pickering was there was good at what it did. He had fashion and music connections of long standing, and he'd been a magazine editor. It all adds up. Otherwise you just end up dealing with press releases and shit that people want to fling at other people.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Deborah, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Yes indeed. I can what he meant to say ie. forging links with sources. It's just that those two missing words have the unfortunate consequence of implying that her practice is fraudulent, or per James' reading of it, at best manipulative.

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock, in reply to Deborah,

    is this a skill that journalism schools should be teaching now - how to turn a tweet by Lorde or Jemaine Clement into a 300-word article?

    Yes indeed. I can what he meant to say ie. forging links with sources. It's just that those two missing words have the unfortunate consequence of implying that her practice is fraudulent, or per James' reading of it, at best manipulative.

    Reckon I could spin a few hundred words of sub-Freudian analysis out of that choice of wording, for a couple of hundred bucks.....Any offers...? No...?

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • Tristan,

    What's the bet key will be showing us his Omaha mansion as the Parnell wont go over with the punters

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 221 posts Report Reply

  • simon g,

    Presumably the rest of the Mediaworks stable has been given instructions (not in writing, of course) to push this website's "stories" as news, no matter how flimsy or flaky.

    Within a week, expect Mike McRoberts and Hilary Barry to grimace at 6 pm as they dutifully deliver the plug ("after the break ... who's the former All Black who says he won't be appearing on Masterchef?").

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to simon g,

    "which opponent of Glorious Leader has been fingered by the feds?"

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • kw, in reply to Deborah,

    Spot the South Islander, but does anyone outside Auckland know who half the NZers (as opposed to international names) she writes about are? The few times I've recognised somebody, I didn't care either. So while she might be influential or whatever in the bubble of central/affluent Auckland, if this influence is overstated nationally, the exercise could turn out to be more egg on the face of Mediaworks.

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2014 • 30 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to kw,

    most Aucklanders only 'know' because the commercial radio they commute with is pushing the same vacuous celeb stories at them. Great stuff happening in pop culture, just not via our bullshit media empires.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to simon g,

    Presumably the rest of the Mediaworks stable has been given instructions (not in writing, of course) to push this website's "stories" as news, no matter how flimsy or flaky.

    Yes, I assume that's the case.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Felix Geiringer,

    Great piece, but I think you missed some of the best bits of the promotional video. It gave examples of the stories to come, including:
    "the truth about their steamy affair";
    "my night with a rock star";
    "destroyed by fame"; and
    "ex-wives' revenge bodies".

    New Zealand • Since Aug 2014 • 35 posts Report Reply

  • Sue,

    I think I'll stick with CakeOven & The Spinoff

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 527 posts Report Reply

  • Damian Christie, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Yes, I assume that's the case.

    I'm told there's going to be a minute of Scout material playing before 3 News - creating the unfortunate sense that it is in fact leading...

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1164 posts Report Reply

  • Trevor Nicholls,

    Mediaworks. It shouldn't.

    Wellington, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 325 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    “EXCLUSIVE: Hosking hoovers new Ferrari on street”

    That’s Scout’s launch-day lead. I shit you not.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace,

    Paul Henry TV was on when I went past living room earlier and the young social media woman who was announcing the launch of Scout did not look or sound that thrilled about it.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    The Hosking story is Glucina's and almost beyond parody:

    EXCLUSIVE: Mike Hosking, New Zealand’s richest broadcaster – who is believed to earn $1.2m for his NewstalkZB radio show each year – has been spotted by SCOUT cruising in his new hot wheels - a racy red Ferrari. But the multi-millionaire motor-mouth and connoisseur of the finer things in life is not above embracing his inner cleaning lady and can be seen most days fastidiously taking to the Italian supercar with a dust buster!

    Mike is - quite literally - a motor maid.

    “Mike hoovers his machine after nearly every drive,” said an observer. “He is quite OCD about it. He used to be an almost daily visitor to Washworld. But you’d think after splurging all that money, on what some deem a midlife crisis car, he’d pay someone to clean it. It’s good to see he’s not above getting down and dusty.”

    In an exclusive video for SCOUT, Hosking was spotted coming out of his Remuera home with a handheld vacuum.

    There are also earnest "Life", "Style" and "Views" sections, and Francis Cook is clearly trying gamely, but his stuff feels like a guy with an Honours degree trying to write down.

    I can see what they're aiming at, but it needs someone with more ability and experience than Glucina at the helm. There are kids working in online editorial for the major media companies who could have stepped up to run something like this, and it would have been better.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Joanna,

    I find Rachel Glucina as reprehensible as the next person, but I do think everyone here should watch Anne Helen Peterson's excellent Webstock talk What we talk about when we talk about Brangelina

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 746 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    How does a 42 year-old woman who’s had a part-time job at a newspaper and a PR company with no clients afford lately to buy a “big” house in Ponsonby and invest in a new media joint venture?

    Same way everyone does - use the flexi mortgage to meet the payments on the fixed mortgage and recapitalize often? Plus a bit of help from mummy and daddy, you'd think? Who are mummy and daddy in this case?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

First ←Older Page 1 2 3 4 5 16 Newer→ Last

Post your response…

Please sign in using your Public Address credentials…

Login

You may also create an account or retrieve your password.