OPINION: All Blacks strive to improve media relations - ’they think they’re so important’, says Hosking; US reality TV show contestants chase down a NZ sheep, slitting its throat; TVNZ’s Breakfast boost after AM demise; NZ media reps at Paris Olympics; An incredible Rupert Murdoch succession drama; Agencies pull together
Media Insider: Mike Hosking, the All Blacks – and NZ Rugby’s bid to improve media relations; US reality show contestants chase, kill NZ sheep with knife; NZ’s Olympic media teams in Paris
Newstalk ZB host Mike Hosking; Codie Taylor leads the All Blacks haka; Contestants from reality show Race to Survive: NZ. Photos: Jason Dorday, Photosport, USA Network
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It seemed a strange match tactic and in my mind epitomised a team that after two incredible seasons under Hart – including a history-defining test series victory in South Africa in 1996 and an unbeaten 12-test season in 1997 – had veered somewhat off-course.
“Various philosophies,” Hart curtly replied.
That shut me down; next question.
My time as a rugby writer was – mercifully for everyone – short.
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Hart was actually one of the more articulate and media-friendly All Blacks coaches, and to this day has an incredible read on rugby and the business of sport more generally.
But I’ve always pondered the media’s patchy and uneasy relationship with the All Blacks – from specific incidents to more general frustrations over a lack of access to players and coaches.
I know of reporters who have been threatened with being “frozen out” for daring to break stories such as the All Blacks’ starting XV and, in one case many years ago, a soon-to-be-All Black purposely barging into a reporter at a Super Rugby training.
Things have improved dramatically since that particular incident.
Still, when they do front up to the media, some All Blacks have an ability to speak a lot of words, but give little away.
On his breakfast radio show last week, Newstalk ZB host Mike Hosking spoke to some of the issues of access.
“This is universally accepted by all in sports journalism – not that I’m in sports journalism, but I like to stand on the sidelines and look at it and smell their sweat because they’re such cool guys - anyway, everyone regards the All Blacks machine as the most difficult to deal with in all of sport.
“They are a pain in the ass and there’s no reason to be.
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“If you contrast them with motor racers who get up at all hours of the morning to come on this programme, the All Blacks will not.”
Media Insider understands that Hosking’s team had been seeking various interviews with top players during the recent England series. Ahead of the test against Fiji in San Diego last Saturday, they rejected the offer of speaking to an All Blacks reserve on Tuesday, given the game was still five days away.
“You don’t get an All Black [on Friday] because ‘they’ve got a game on Saturday’,” Hosking said.
“That’s the All Blacks and it’s always been that way. They’ve never changed.
“They think they’re so important that they can’t possibly talk to the media unless it suits them. It’s the weirdest business.”
While those criticisms might seem minor to many people – even Hosking himself stated later in the show he didn’t particularly care – they will no doubt sting New Zealand Rugby (NZR) who are striving hard, under a new All Blacks coach and management regime, to improve their media relations.
Ahead of this year’s All Blacks programme, NZR PR bosses and new coach Scott Robertson organised off-the-record meetings and briefings with sports editors and rugby journalists to hear firsthand any frustrations and to give their own perspectives.
NZR is also surveying journalists to hear feedback on NZR/All Blacks comms.
Under previous coach Ian Foster, relations with the media hit a rocky patch in 2022 when media manager Jo Malcolm cancelled a press conference on the Sunday following the All Blacks’ series loss to Ireland in Wellington.
Malcolm said at the time that Foster was a human first and foremost and that she had made the call to cancel the press conference.
“I felt he needed a day or so to work out what he wanted to say and not just be a punching bag for the media, who, let’s be clear, wanted blood.”
New Zealand Rugby responds
An NZR spokesman did not want to get into a tit-for-tat over the Hosking comments.
“NZR values the vital contribution that sports journalists make in connecting rugby to New Zealanders,” he said. “We are working hard to strengthen our relationships with journalists and support them to tell the game’s stories.”
He said that a range of All Blacks and coaches were made available for media in the week leading up to the San Diego test.
“The All Blacks don’t currently have a set media window on Friday morning, but players are available for interviews the day before a test match. During the two matches against England, New Zealand media attended events and interviewed players on both Fridays, and also did media interviews at events in San Diego the day before the match. The All Blacks captain and a member of the coaching staff are also available to media at the captain’s run each week.”
He said there were a range of opportunities for media in the lead-up to the San Diego test, saying a total of 22 All Blacks were made available at media conferences and other events.
He said NZR valued the media’s role and was “working hard to develop and improve relationships”.
There are undoubtedly frustrations on both sides and in discussions this week, some sports department staff say they’ve seen improvements; others say the access to All Blacks remains poor.
The role of an All Blacks media manager is undoubtedly difficult – balancing the expectations and multiple demands of a range of journalists, with a team that could adopt a siege mentality at any time, especially if results aren’t going their way.
It would also be hard for a media relations person to not become embedded or overawed by the stars, especially if players believe media are being unreasonable.
The Scott Robertson era
Yesterday, I bumped into broadcasting legend Murray Deaker, who endured his own rocky period with the All Blacks even though Newstalk ZB was then (and is now) a rights holder for commentary.
Deaker remembers a golden age under Hart, when players such as Zinzan Brooke and Sean Fitzpatrick would spend an hour with him at the hotel each morning on a United Kingdom/European tour, broadcasting live back to New Zealand for his evening ZB show.
But under latter administrations, Deaker says, access to coaches and players would be refused if it had been deemed he had made critical comments. “I think I became anti-All Blacks because I couldn’t get access. Instead of talking to them, I started talking about them and I got harsher and harsher. It backfired on them terribly.”
He recalls the contrast between that and covering the US Masters golf tournament at Augusta and having superstar players lined up to speak whenever needed.
There are many hoping that Robertson will follow the same philosophy as Hart.
Robertson’s recent post-match interview on Sky TV, following the tight victory over England in Dunedin, broke the mould in terms of insightful commentary, and where the All Blacks had got things right - and wrong.
He was equally excellent on a Newstalk ZB show recently with Jason Pine, answering listeners’ questions for a full hour, and during the special three-part Sky TV series, Razor, questioned by Jim Kayes.
Kayes, an experienced rugby journalist, said this week that like any round in journalism, covering rugby was about building relationships and trust.
“Looking back, I made sure I took advantage of every opportunity to engage with the All Blacks ... It certainly didn’t mean you had to be a sycophant, but with a strong foundation it does mean you can air any differences and move on. Perhaps what has changed in recent years are the opportunities to establish that foundation.”
Robertson clearly stated he wants to see players perform to their natural instincts on the field.
If players can follow his lead and do the same off the pitch – avoiding cliches while realising that media have an important role to play and that criticism of their game is not personal – then relations should improve.
And critically, All Blacks fans can enjoy a far more insightful understanding of the players’ positions and views.
Ardie’s Pasifika-only press conference
Which brings us to Ardie Savea.
On Monday, he held a press conference for Pasifika media and journalism students following confirmation of his move to Moana Pasifika from the Hurricanes.
Other media were not invited to the press conference, although TVNZ’s John Campbell – a massive supporter of Pasifika rugby and who has an honorary Samoan title – did politely gatecrash the event, securing a one-on-one interview with Savea.
At first glance, an exclusionary press conference will sit uncomfortably with some people.
NZR and Moana Pasifika did not want to comment but it was important for them, in line with Pasifika tradition, to show respect for Savea’s wishes.
They said their media statements on Sunday fulfilled official requirements – the press conference on Monday was Savea’s personal choice.
Campbell wrote for TVNZ: “The only reporters there were from Pasifika media outlets and programmes, along with some Pasifika journalism students. It may be tempting to read this as a rejection of something. But it wasn’t. It was a reminder of what Moana Pasifika stands for, and why Savea has signed for them – amplifying Pasifika identity in a sport that has so often been made better by Pacific players, and less often returned the compliment.”
Media Insider has been told by several sources that Savea had initially planned to announce his move through his own social media channels.
But those plans were disrupted when NZ Herald rugby scribe Liam Napier broke the news last Friday – one of the biggest rugby scoops of the year.
Savea’s subsequent social media post at the weekend, following the All Blacks’ victory over Fiji, was moving – in line with how some big United States sports stars announce their own moves.
Reality TV contestants slaughter sheep
While two contestants from the US reality TV show Race to Survive: New Zealand were disqualified after it emerged that one of them had killed and eaten a protected weka, the actions of another pair have also raised eyebrows.
Hungry contestants Nik Milutinovic and Kennedy Taylor came across a flock of sheep during the endurance challenge in the South Island, chasing down one of the animals and reportedly killing it by slitting its throat with a knife.
The chase was shown on television.
“Kennedy, knife in hand, didn’t hesitate to throw herself at one of the sheep she and Nik managed to corner and kill it with a slice to the throat,” reported USA Insider, the news website of USA Network which broadcasts the show.
The contestants – who are not provided with any food as part of the 40-day race for survival – ate the animal.
The sheep was part of a farmer’s flock - according to a contestant, the farmer had given producers the okay for one of the sheep to be killed.
The contestants’ actions have alarmed some American viewers and New Zealand’s SPCA.
“The animal was likely terrified and was not stunned. It was distressing to watch,” said one viewer on the social media platform Reddit.
Another said: “Just to be clear, that wasn’t hunting. Sheep are domesticated. It was catching and butchering, and apparently authorised by the owner who was going to butcher that lamb himself a little later. Is it more humane to be corralled and then wait your turn to be butchered? Reality sucks sometimes, but you knew when you started watching the show that killing animals would happen.”
Another commenter said: “I’m one of the racers this season. The whole race with the sheep took place on a private sheep ranch. Production struck a deal with the rancher that teams could take a sheep during the race days if they felt so inclined. But for how long it takes to kill and process that size of animal, the other teams decided to keep racing. So yes, killing the sheep was fine.”
SPCA scientific officer Dr Alison Vaughan said the agency was “deeply concerned about the depiction of animal killing for entertainment on the reality TV show Race to Survive”.
“Such scenes not only represent the possibility of offences under the Animal Welfare Act 1999, but they also promote the mistreatment of animals and desensitise viewers to animal suffering.
“We strongly urge producers to consider the ethical implications of their content and to prioritise the humane and ethical treatment of all animals. We advocate for responsible media practices that respect and protect animal welfare.”
She said the appropriate agency to investigate any welfare concerns in this instance would be the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).
MPI told Media Insider it had not received a complaint about the incident, “but we will contact the show’s producers to gather more details”.
“If you need to slaughter an animal yourself, it’s an offence to kill it in a way that causes unreasonable or unnecessary pain or distress,” said MPI compliance project manager Murray Pridham.
“Different species have different codes of welfare with requirements for emergency humane slaughter.”
Executive producer Jeff Conroy told USA Insider: “It’s an intense thing, right?
“Bare-hand killing an animal kinda speaks to the level of hunger people are at and what people will do when they’re hungry and it also... speaks to the idea of – your body becomes like a machine, right? You need fuel to make that machine work, and the reality is, a sheep provides a lot of fuel, right?
“And the one thing I think is really cool about it is that they do fully use every [part] – that sheep was not wasted,” he said.
“That sheep kept them alive. That sheep, they used every bit of it. Down to the bone broth soup. I think if you have to kill an animal to eat it to survive, that’s probably the best way to do it, right? Do it in a way that you really respect it by using the whole animal.”
Breakfast ratings
TVNZ has had a nice little boost in ratings for Breakfast since the demise of Three’s AM show.
The show has tipped past an average daily viewership of 100,000 (all audiences aged five-plus) for the first time in months.
While that pales in comparison with the audiences of news websites and morning radio, TVNZ will undoubtedly be happy with the boost, after a tough seven months.
“TVNZ 1′s weekday Breakfast programme has seen a 45% lift in average audience (overnight/All 5+) since Three’s AM show ended two weeks ago,” reported GroupM’s Harry McFall in his weekly newsletter.
“Over the last fortnight, Breakfast has averaged over 100,000 viewers, which is 30,000 more than its typical numbers for the first half of the year. This suggests there is still high interest in breakfast news, making it a vital vehicle for breaking overnight information from the northern hemisphere or covering major events like the upcoming Olympics.”
The NZ media Olympic team
At least 40 New Zealand media representatives are in France for the Olympic Games.
Aside from extensive live coverage across news websites, television screens and radio, there is an interesting audio battle under way, with most major media companies unleashing specialist daily podcasts.
Sky is sending the biggest media contingent, understandably, given it has the official television broadcast rights – it has 21 presenters, reporters, camera operators, and other production staff on the ground.
State broadcaster TVNZ has a team of 11, and RNZ has five.
NZME has three staff on the ground; Stuff says it has a team on the ground although it did not give a specific number.
The full breakdown, by alphabetical order:
NZME: NZ Herald/Newstalk ZB
On the ground in Paris are video journalist Cheree Kinnear and sports reporters Kris Shannon and Michael Burgess.
NZME has official radio broadcast rights – official commentators on Gold Sport are Jason Pine, Elliott Smith, Andrew Alderson, Malcolm Jordan, Adam Cooper, Bonnie Jansen, and Nick Bewley. Selected events will also be broadcast live on Newstalk ZB.
A daily podcast, Sports Fix – Paris 2024 Edition, will also be hosted by Pine.
Like most major news websites, the NZ Herald has a live blog covering all the action, a live medal table, regular updates, news stories and features. An Olympics newsletter will be sent at 1pm each day.
RNZ
Nathan Rarere will host the First Up show on RNZ National from Paris.
Joining him on the ground in France are reporters Dana Johannsen, Barry Guy and Felicity Reid.
From New Zealand, Ben Strang will host a daily podcast, Paris Essentials, to be released at 11am each day.
Sky TV
Sky’s 21 people in France include presenters, reporters, camera operators, and technical and production support. It has exclusive TV coverage of the Olympics for New Zealand, with 12 channels operating.
Sky has a Gold channel that compiles the key moments featuring Kiwi athletes.
“An important part of the team’s role on the ground is to talk to athletes directly after they finish competing – as representatives of an official broadcaster, the team have the privilege of taking these first interviews and it’s something that sets Sky’s coverage apart,” says a Sky spokeswoman.
“As much of the action takes place overnight NZ time, we’ll be presenting a morning highlights show from 7-8am every day, called The Daily Wrap, which will be a great way for New Zealanders to catch up on all the action from overnight.”
Sky Sport has six presenters in Paris: Kimberlee Downs, Rikki Swannell, Andrew Mulligan, James McOnie, Jeff McTainsh and Courtney Tairi.
Hosting from Auckland are Kirstie Stanway (morning coverage, and co-presenting The Daily Wrap with Brook Ruscoe); Laura McGoldrick (evening primetime coverage); and Goran Paladin and Stephen McIvor (hosting overnight action).
Stuff
Stuff has a team of multimedia journalists on the ground in France, including Imogen Wells, host of the daily Newsable podcast, and Abigail Dougherty.
“Our comprehensive coverage will include an Olympics mini-podcast from Imogen each morning in our Newsable feed, coverage on stuff.co.nz and our mastheads the Post, the Press and the Waikato Times, and live crosses to Paris at 6pm on ThreeNews,” says Stuff Digital managing director Nadia Tolich.
TVNZ
The state broadcaster has five reporters – Jordan Oppert, Michelle Prendiville, Guy Heveldt, Harata Brown, and Henry McMullan – as well as Breakfast host Chris Chang in France.
“That team will be supported by four camera operators, a producer, and our Europe correspondent Mei Heron,” says a TVNZ spokeswoman.
TVNZ steps up to the plate as official broadcaster of the Paralympics after the Olympics – it has the rights for the Paralympics with five dedicated pop-up channels on TVNZ+ and coverage every day from 7.30pm on TVNZ 1.
“We’ll have 1News sports reporter Victor Waters and a camera person covering our Paralympians competing in Paris, and Dame Sophie Pascoe hosting alongside Scotty Stevenson,” says the spokeswoman.
Whakaata Māori
“We have Maioha Panapa travelling to Paris for the Olympics and reporting for Te Ao News with a freelance camera operator,” said a spokeswoman.
Meanwhile, MediaWorks said it was covering the Olympics from New Zealand, while Warner Bros Discovery no longer has a newsroom.
Two Good Texts
This week we ask the same question of Laura McGoldrick and James McOnie – two of Sky TV’s Olympic hosts.
I asked the same question of James McOnie, who is expecting more than Nielsen’s prediction of 14 medals. He thinks we’ll bag at least 20.
Rupert Murdoch’s real-life Succession
The New York Times yesterday uncovered perhaps the biggest international media story of the year - an until-now-secret legal wrangle involving Rupert Murdoch and his four children and the future control of his media empire once he dies.
The Times’ story was beautifully and expertly crafted - notable, also, for the writers’ restraint in not mentioning the Succession TV series once.
But this drama - essentially 93-year-old Murdoch wanting to ensure his most conservative child Lachlan can’t be toppled as head of his TV and newspaper empire by the more liberal-leaning other three children, Prudence, Elisabeth and James - is straight from the Succession script.
Last night, Lachlan spoke at a special black tie ceremony in Sydney to mark the 60th birthday of The Australian newspaper. Guests included Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and former prime ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott.
In its report on the event, The Australian did not mention the succession battle.
It quoted Lachlan as saying: “Journalists first and foremost report the news, accurately and without bias. We report the facts. We ask questions. We seek the truth.”
The Australian does have a separate article about the succession battle on page 15 of today’s newspaper. Murdoch’s Wall St Journal newspaper also covers the case - and mentions it on the front page.
Eden Park haka
Six agencies have parked competitive differences and joined forces to help organise a charity attempt to create a world record for the biggest haka.
Organisers are aiming for 10,000 participants for the ‘HAKA’ event at Eden Park on September 29 to reclaim the official Guinness world record set by 4028 people in France in 2014.
Creative agency Augusto, social and digital agency Corner Store, event agency Ballyhoo, PR agency Pead, event producer Mike Mizrahi and creative director Tyrone Ohia of Extended Whānau are all involved, each donating their time.
The collective agency billing for the project is an estimated $800,000-plus.
“HAKA is far more than just an event,” said Dame Hinewehi Mohi (Ngāti Kahungunu/Ngāi Tūhoe), and co-founder of the charity, Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre.
“It is a powerful statement of our cultural heritage and a unique symbol of Aotearoa.”
Mizrahi said: “I have staged many epic events all over the world, this one will be unmissable.”
“As the publicity partner, Pead has been a proud supporter of Raukatauri Music Therapy for more than 20 years,” said founder Deborah Pead.
“It’s wonderful to see this idea come to life with the generous support of Aotearoa’s top agencies and creatives working together. The kaupapa that this team has created is a proud nation-building moment and it feels right for the industry to follow the call to action and stand together to bring this record home.”
Augusto founder Leon Kirkbeck said Corner Store had a deep appreciation for the haka. “Having been close partners with New Zealand Rugby and the All Blacks for many years, we have proudly celebrated the mana it represents for Aotearoa and its people all over the world. And as a flagship showcase for our new event brand, Ballyhoo, we recognised this opportunity to reclaim a special part of Māoridom and New Zealand culture.”
The event will kick off with live performances from local music icons and is a fully inclusive family event.
To register as one of the 10,000 participants at Eden Park and to buy tickets, see www.hakarecord.co.nz.
Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.
