Tag: Readership

Numbers, damned numbers…and the smell of gaslighting

Numbers are curious figures: They can be up or down, big or small, true or misleading, good news or bad, welcome or unwelcome.

In the past week or so New Zealand’s media had been enveloped in something of a numerical avalanche about itself, And what was good news for some was decidedly the opposite for others.

But, first, let me get something else off my chest.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins’ reference to “your Tory owners at NZME” on Newstalk ZB was about as clever as thinking a hand grenade was something you hold after pulling the fuse. It was just plain dumb. Continue reading “Numbers, damned numbers…and the smell of gaslighting” →

[Don’t] read all about it!


The latest readership survey shows New Zealand newspapers are very good at reporting other people’s bad news but not their own.

Last September the New Zealand Herald bragged that its Nielsen readership statistics had “soared to record levels” and this year ran an extensive story about NZME titles increasing readership in the February Nielsen survey, which it claimed was “highlighting Kiwis’ love affair with print”.

Last week Nielsen released its latest survey. It received no coverage in the Herald or in the Waikato Times or in the Dominion Post or in The Press or in the Otago Daily Times. Continue reading “[Don’t] read all about it!” →