It’s the end of a short week so I thought I’d showcase what one of our former Spinoff writers, Justin Latif, has been up to.

He’s now the chief of staff at the Pacific Media Network and this week joined Rev Frank Ritchie on re_covering – a Media Chaplaincy podcast for RNZ.

During the discussion, which you can find here, Latif discussed how Ihumātao became the most impacting story of his journalism career. But it wasn’t always easy. “It was really hard to get our bigger bosses to understand why it was a story,” Latif said.

“We had people above us saying, ‘oh, it’s just a small local thing’. I remember Carmen [Parahi, Stuff’s Pou Tiaki editor] talked about this idea of how Māori get pigeon-holed when they speak up for themselves. They’re called protestors or they get sort of singled out as being angry – and it’s almost like we had to play into that narrative to even get our editors to let us send a photographer.”

Latif, who last year won community journalist of the year at the Voyager Media Awards for his work with The Spinoff, discussed the value of “on-the-ground” storytelling. “The more I’m in it, I see the benefit and the power of it,” he said.

Listen to the podcast below

Messages leaked to RNZ show Green MP Elizabeth Kerekere calling her caucus colleague Chlöe Swarbrick a “crybaby”.

The text was mistakenly sent to a group chat that included Green staff and MPs and happened while Swarbrick was speaking during a debate on her own amendment bill.

“Sucks that her bill goes through during list ranking!” the first text from Kerekere reads. “Please Universe, pick my bill tomorrow.”

A later message then said: “omg what a crybaby”.

When approached for comment by RNZ, Kerekere denied ever calling Swarbrick a crybaby. “I didn’t call Chlöe a crybaby, and I don’t think I can comment on it, but I didn’t call her that,” she said. Then, when asked if she had concerns over her list ranking, Kerekere hung up. The preliminary party ranking released this week had Swarbrick in third slot, followed by Kerekere.

RNZ has also shared the incredible moment the messages were seemingly read by Green MPs Golriz Ghahraman and Julie Anne Genter. Seated behind Swarbrick, their reactions were caught on camera during the debate. I implore you to watch the video here.

Kerekere was forced to give up her Covid-19 and health spokesperson portfolios last year after she broke Covid restrictions that were in place at the time.

The long-promised review into emergency response following the Auckland anniversary weekend floods won’t be released in time for the Easter weekend.

Mayor Wayne Brown was heavily criticised for his handling of the devastating floods, including his absence from media on the day of the disaster and the delay in declaring a state of emergency.

The review had been expected back in early March before bumped to the end of the month. But come March 31, nothing had eventuated.

In a brief statement from the mayor’s office, a spokesperson confirmed the review would not be released today or over the long weekend. “We should know the release date for the review next week,” they said.

Have you ever been at the supermarket and realised that a so-called “special” was anything but?

Consumer NZ has received over 300 examples of “dodgy” supermarket specials, including 54 times customers were charged more than the shelf price. Another 78 revealed discounts that, it turned out, were not actually discounts. And there were 18 “multibuys” where the products would have been cheaper if bought individually.

Jon Duffy, Consumer NZ’s chief executive, said it was concerning. “We contacted the supermarket bosses to share a small sample of the complaints, and to raise our concerns that many of the examples we received risked breaching the Fair Trading Act,” he said.

“We asked the supermarkets to take steps to improve their pricing and promotional strategies.”

Countdown’s operator Woolworths said it was working to improve its pricing practices, but Foodstuffs, who manage New World and Pak’n’Save, said there weren’t “systemic” issues. “The evidence we have collected suggests there are systemic issues, so we have written back to Foodstuffs, presenting a full summary of the complaints we received and asking it to take action to address these issues,” said Duffy.

Consumer wants more examples from concerned customers. People can email playfair@consumer.org.nz.

The government is injecting over $25 million a year into RNZ, including $12 million for a new digital platform.

It comes in the wake of the failed merger between RNZ and TVNZ – a long-gestating government policy that was finally scrapped when Chris Hipkins became prime minister. It also follows the swift demise last week of Today FM.

Alongside the new digital offering, RNZ’s been given $12 million to “maintain public media services” and $1.7 million for its AM transmission.

Broadcasting minister Willie Jackson, who had been in charge of overseeing the planned merger, said the new funding would be $364.7 million cheaper over the next four years compared to combining RNZ and TVNZ.

“We have listened to New Zealanders and now is not the right time to restructure our public media. However the changing media landscape, increased competition, changing audience demands, and declining revenue pressures facing our public media are not going away,” he said.

“This investment will strengthen news and current affairs coverage through a free multi-media digital platform to reach new audiences, expand regional coverage to be truly national, establish a new initiative to prioritise Māori and Pacific content and support RNZ to deliver civil defence lifeline emergency communications.”

As previously announced, NZ On Air funding will also be restored and boosted by $10 million to support the creation of innovative content. “The funding will support the creation of high-quality content that better represents and connects with audiences such as Māori, Pasifika, Asian, disabled people and our rangatahi and tamariki. It is vital that all New Zealanders are seeing and hearing themselves in our public media,” said Jackson.

BusinessDesk’s Tamara Poi-Ngawhika reports this morning that Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere wants to see the Māori party contesting all seats, not just the Māori electorates. That is a departure from the party’s approach to date where, since its establishment in 2004, it has only contested the Māori seats.

“We’re a movement and it’s our time,” Tamihere said. “We get to determine who the prime minister is going to be and that’s a big thing.” Tamihere is basing his comments on several polls that put Te Pāti Māori in the position of king-maker at the next election. Tamihere said the poll results gave the party “comfort” because they’re polls of the general seats. “They’re not a poll of Māori sentiment in Māori seats,” he said.

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