Left to right: winner, winner, winner, winner, winner, winner, winner, winner, winner, winner.
Left to right: winner, winner, winner, winner, winner, winner, winner, winner, winner, winner.

MediaMay 12, 2018

Exclusive: The Spinoff wins everything at Voyager Media Awards 2018

Left to right: winner, winner, winner, winner, winner, winner, winner, winner, winner, winner.
Left to right: winner, winner, winner, winner, winner, winner, winner, winner, winner, winner.

As expected, every single award last night was won by the Spinoff, to universal acclaim.

In a glittering ceremony at the Auckland hotel which used to be glamorously known as the Langham but was recently renamed Cordis so that it sounds more like a provincial motor inn, the cream of New Zealand media gathered last night to celebrate the achievements of the Spinoff website.

Five awards were handed out, with Peter Wells winning the best first-person essay category for his contributions to the Spinoff, Duncan Greive taking the business opinion writing award for the Spinoff, Charlotte Grimshaw grabbing the reviewer of the year prize for the Spinoff, Simon Wilson the feature writing (lifestyle and arts) award for the Spinoff and Toby Morris the best artwork and graphics trophy for the Spinoff.

There were no other awards.

Seeby Woodhouse, inventor of the internet and sponsor of the awards, emerged through a ball of fire to a wild ovation. He was held aloft by the people and they did sing His name and pronounce Him their God.

Jacinda Ardern stood around, pregnantly.


DIGITAL

BEST INNOVATION IN DIGITAL STORYTELLING: RNZ.CO.NZ/GREAT SOUTHERN TV AND ANIMATION RESEARCH, NZ WARS: THE STORIES OF RUAPEKAPEKA
BEST NEWS WEBSITE OR APP: NZHERALD.CO.NZ
WEBSITE OF THE YEAR (JOINT): NEWSROOM.CO.NZ AND STUFF

FEATURE WRITING

FEATURE WRITING – BEST FIRST-PERSON ESSAY OR FEATURE: PETER WELLS, THE SPINOFF
FEATURE WRITING – SPORT: DANA JOHANNSEN NZ HERALD
FEATURE WRITING – BUSINESS AND/OR PERSONAL FINANCE: REBECCA MACFIE, NEW ZEALAND LISTENER
FEATURE WRITING – BEST FEATURE WRITER – JUNIOR: MIRJAM GUESGEN, VETSCRIPT MAGAZINE

FEATURE WRITING (LONG-FORM)

FEATURE WRITING – ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND LIFESTYLE: SIMON WILSON, THE SPINOFF
FEATURE WRITING – HEALTH, EDUCATION AND/OR GENERAL: KIRSTY JOHNSTON, NZ HERALD
FEATURE WRITING – CRIME, JUSTICE AND / OR SOCIAL ISSUES: MIKE WHITE, NORTH & SOUTH
FEATURE WRITER OF THE YEAR: KATE EVANS, NEW ZEALAND GEOGRAPHIC AND NORTH & SOUTH

FEATURE WRITING (SHORT-FORM)

FEATURE WRITING – ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND LIFESTYLE: GREG BRUCE, NZ HERALD
FEATURE WRITING  – HEALTH, EDUCATION AND/OR GENERAL: GREG BRUCE, NZ HERALD
FEATURE WRITING – CRIME, JUSTICE AND / OR SOCIAL ISSUES: DONNA-LEE BIDDLE, WAIKATO TIMES
FEATURE WRITER OF THE YEAR: TESS MCCLURE, VICE

GENERAL

BEST HEADLINE OR HOOK: TAYLOR SINCOCK, NEWSHUB
BEST ARTWORK/GRAPHICS (INCLUDING INTERACTIVE/MOTION GRAPHICS): TOBY MORRIS, THE SPINOFF AND THE WIRELESS
CARTOONIST OF THE YEAR: SHARON MURDOCH, THE PRESS, SUNDAY STAR- TIMES AND THE DOMINION POST
REVIEWER OF THE YEAR: CHARLOTTE GRIMSHAW NEW ZEALAND LISTENER AND THE SPINOFF
BEST TRADE/SPECIALIST PUBLICATION AND/OR WEBSITE: NZ RETAIL AND THEREGISTER.CO.NZ
NIB HEALTH JOURNALISM SCHOLARSHIP – JUNIOR: SASHA BORISSENKO, NEWSROOM.CO.NZ
GENERAL NIB HEALTH JOURNALISM SCHOLARSHIP – SENIOR: BARBARA FOUNTAIN, NEW ZEALAND DOCTOR
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AWARD (JOINT): DONNA CHISHOLM NORTH & SOUTH, NZ LISTENER AND KATE EVANS, NEW ZEALAND GEOGRAPHIC AND NORTH & SOUTH
ENVIRONMENTAL / SUSTAINABILITY AWARD: ISOBEL EWING, NEWSHUB
BEST EDITORIAL CAMPAIGN OR PROJECT: NZHERALD.CO.NZ – BREAK THE SILENCE
EDITORIAL EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR: MURRAY KIRKNESS, EDITOR, NZ HERALD
WOLFSON FELLOWSHIP: MATT NIPPERT, NZ HERALD

MAGAZINES

BEST MAGAZINE DESIGN: METRO MAGAZINE
MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR: NEW ZEALAND GEOGRAPHIC

NEWSPAPERS

BEST NEWSPAPER-INSERTED MAGAZINE: THE WEEKEND MIX
BEST NEWSPAPER FRONT PAGE: HAWKE’S BAY TODAY
COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR: MOUNTAIN SCENE
NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR (UP TO 30,000 CIRCULATION): WAIKATO TIMES
NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR (MORE THAN 30,000 CIRCULATION): THE PRESS
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR: WEEKEND HERALD
VOYAGER NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR: WEEKEND HERALD

OPINION WRITING

OPINION WRITING – GENERAL AND/OR SPORT: LEAH MCFALL SUNDAY MAGAZINE, SUNDAY STAR-TIMES
OPINION WRITING – HUMOUR/SATIRE: DAVE ARMSTRONG, THE DOMINION POST
OPINION WRITING – BUSINESS AND/OR PERSONAL FINANCE: DUNCAN GREIVE, THE SPINOFF
OPINION WRITER OF THE YEAR: STEVE BRAUNIAS, NZ HERALD

PHOTOGRAPHY

BEST FEATURE/PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY: KENT BLECHYNDEN, SCOOP.CO.NZ
BEST PHOTOGRAPHY – GENERAL: JOHN BORREN, BAY OF PLENTY TIMES
BEST PHOTOGRAPHY – PORTRAIT: CHRIS SKELTON, THE PRESS
BEST PHOTOGRAPHY – SPORT: ANDREW CORNAGA, WWW.PHOTOSPORT.NZ
BEST PHOTOGRAPHY – NEWS: JOSEPH JOHNSON, THE PRESS
BEST PHOTO – JUNIOR: KAVINDA HERATH, THE SOUTHLAND TIMES
PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR: IAIN MCGREGOR, STUFF

REPORTING

REPORTER – ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND LIFESTYLE: HIKURANGI JACKSON, MARAE
REPORTER – HEALTH, EDUCATION AND/OR GENERAL: TONY WALL, STUFF
REPORTER – CRIME, JUSTICE AND/OR SOCIAL ISSUES: JARED SAVAGE, NZ HERALD
REPORTER – MAORI AFFAIRS: ORIINI KAIPARA, MAORI TELEVISION
BEST (SINGLE) NEWS STORY: MELANIE REID, NEWSROOM.CO.NZ – POLITICIANS, POLICE, AND THE PAYOUT
BEST INVESTIGATION: OLIVIA CARVILLE, NZ HERALD – WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN HEARTED
BEST TEAM INVESTIGATION: STUFF CIRCUIT – THE VALLEY, NEW ZEALAND’S WAR IN AFGHANISTAN
BEST COVERAGE OF A MAJOR NEWS EVENT: RNZ.CO.NZ – ELECTION 2017
BEST REPORTER – JUNIOR: NINA HINDMARSH, NELSON MAIL
STUDENT JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR: RUBY NYIKA, WAIKATO TIMES
COMMUNITY JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR: ROB DRENT, THE DEVONPORT FLAGSTAFF
REGIONAL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR: CARMEN HALL, BAY OF PLENTY TIMES
SPORTS JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR: DANA JOHANNSEN, NZ HERALD
BUSINESS JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR: MATT NIPPERT, NZ HERALD
POLITICAL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR: AUDREY YOUNG, NZ HERALD
REPORTER OF THE YEAR: MELANIE REID, NEWSROOM.CO.NZ

VIDEOGRAPHY

BEST NEWS VIDEO: GEORGE HEARD, THE PRESS
BEST FEATURE VIDEO: TASHA IMPEY, RE:, TVNZ
BEST TEAM VIDEO – NEWS: 1 NEWS NOW – EDGECUMBE’S POOR FLOOD DEFENCES
BEST TEAM VIDEO – FEATURE: NZ HERALD – UNDER THE BRIDGE
BEST VIDEOGRAPHER – JUNIOR: JADEN MCLEOD, NZ HERALD LOCAL FOCUS
VIDEOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR (JOINT): ALEXANDER ROBERTSON, NZME/VERY NICE PRODUCTIONS AND MIKE SCOTT, NZ HERALD
Keep going!
Illustration: Toby Morris
Illustration: Toby Morris

MediaMay 11, 2018

Why are the police cheering social media ‘pressure’ driven by online vigilantism?

Illustration: Toby Morris
Illustration: Toby Morris

Social media can be an effective tool for police in finding missing persons and suspects. But where is the line and was it crossed this week?

Revenge is so many things. It’s a dish best served cold. It’s sweet but not fattening. It’s an acid that burns its holder. Justice is nothing. Justice is just. And when the two find themselves in bed together, no good can come of it. Revenge masquerading as justice is how I found myself scrolling through thousands of comments this morning ranging from “oxygen thieves who should have been drowned at birth” to “chuck the cunts in the boot for a couple days then let them out for the dogs to play with”. Not much of a range when everyone’s out for blood.

The “oxygen thieves” are four young men who allegedly assaulted a 74-year-old man in Clendon Pak’N’Save on Monday after he told them not to throw food on the ground. They punched him, breaking his nose and injuring his jaw, before fleeing. The crime is heinous, the fleeing cowardly, and the punishment inevitable. But does the way things unfolded really provide us with a model to aspire to?

After an 18-year-old turned himself into police in relation to the assault, Huntly police sergeant Will Hamilton issued a press statement praising social media for the part it played, saying “it was a fantastic result and demonstrates the power of modern media”.

The part social media played was this. Shortly after the incident occurred, a member of the victim’s family posted an account of what happened onto their Facebook page. It attracted dozens of comments and shares. A Facebook user, seemingly unrelated to the victim, shared the post. Early the next morning that same user posted a photograph of four young men, saying they were involved in the incident. The photo is of a computer screen showing CCTV footage from Pak’N’Save with all four faces easily identifiable. As of writing, the photo has been shared 9,912 times. Comments on the photo were wholly negative and violent. Calling for abuse and death if and when the four were apprehended.

By mid morning, the Herald had published an article on the assault, quoting the victim’s son and a Foodstuffs spokesperson. The story included the image of the four young men, grabbed from the Facebook page, with their faces blurred.

When the story was shared by the Herald Facebook page, the comments streamed in. People wanted to know why the faces were blurred. “Show their faces … I’m sure the public would love to know. Disgusting!” read the top comment. Further down, the uncensored photo was shared, as well as the full names of three of the young men.

At this point, the police had not released a statement on the assault itself or the image circulating, though they were aware of online activity, telling Stuff, “Police discourage anyone from taking matters into their own hands.” There was no confirmation that those four men were even suspects.

Another user posted the uncensored image as well as photos of the men’s Facebook accounts. The post has been shared almost 3,000 times. The police still did not confirm that the people in the image were being sought.

The circumstances are different, of course, but everyone remembers what happened on social media in the days after the Boston Marathon bombing. Members of the public, with justice on their minds, graduated from amateur detective school and set about “finding” the bomber. Photos of reddit suspects were shared endlessly and innocent people were forced into hiding after receiving death threats online. The hundreds of comments on the uncensored images in New Zealand echo many of those sentiments: find these criminals and make them hurt.

Aggressive comments on Facebook are nothing new and won’t be going anywhere soon. But for the police to issue an official statement endorsing the social media pressure – which in this case unquestionably was swept up in a mob mentality – is a dangerous precedent to set.

“This young man has succumbed to the pressure and has made the right decision to face the consequences of his actions,” Sergeant Will Hamilton said, after the 18 year old turned himself in. Succumbed to the pressure. That pressure involved threats of death and rape. I’m not surprised he succumbed to the pressure. Surely the police weren’t promoting the use of social media to hunt down and find young offenders? I called them to find out.

Right off the bat, Sergeant Hamilton said he was unaware there was even a photo but “anecdotally I knew there would be a strong social media interest surrounding the matter”.

He added: “Police don’t condone any sort of vigilante action. As much as we do appreciate any help that the public have given police indirectly in terms of this matter. We always ask that public come to the police with any new information they have at hand to assist us in our investigations …

“He’s obviously found out one way or another, whether it’s through social media or through family, that he is featured. Whether it was through censored or uncensored images, I’m not too sure. The wide electronic publication of those images, censored or not, obviously put the pressure on.”

So the circulation of those images is OK?

“I think in the right forum and on the right platform and issued by police, taking into account privacy and legislative restrictions, it’s appropriate. But ad hoc images I think should always be run past police or supplied to police to supply to media.”

Did he know where the image originated?

No I don’t.”

In summary: An uncensored image of four young men, all of whom look to be teenagers, was shared over 10,000 times on Facebook. Their full names and other personal details were also circulated. Hundreds of commenters encouraged violence against them if and when they were found in public. All this time the police made no statement on the matter and gave no details of the case to the public. One of the men turned himself in after all this and the police say thank you to “the powers of modern media”.

It’s lazy and dangerous, and next time it might not end so well for everyone.


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