Identity of Kiwi TV personality on cocaine charges kept secret; Why RNZ may have scrapped Anika Moa’s Kiri Allan podcast – and how they could have handled it; Top agency cancels media platform subscription after article featuring glaring lack of gender representation.
A well-known television personality is accused of major drugs charges and being part of an organised criminal group.
The former reality show contestant – who has graced New Zealand screens for years across his varied career – appeared in court this week on the serious charges, which run the risk of lengthy prison time if proven by prosecutors.
Court documents show the man (who has interim name suppression) is accused of possessing cocaine for supply, participating in an organised criminal group and conspiring to deal with a Class A drug.
The man has been released on bail and is scheduled to reappear in court next month.
Stay tuned.
When an RNZ reporter broke the news their own employer was refusing to release an episode of It’s Personal with Anika Moa featuring former Justice Minister Kiritapu Allan, tongues started wagging.
What could have been so outrageous that the public broadcaster would stop the show from seeing the light of day?
RNZ said the episode failed to meet its “editorial policy with regards to impartiality”.
“During the interview some topics raised included past news events which still have currency. When applied against our editorial policy, RNZ concluded more context would have been needed on impartiality grounds to allow the interview to be published,” RNZ’s chief content officer Megan Whelan said.
RNZ refused to front to answer specific questions on the decision and more than 100 pages of heavily redacted documents released to Media Insider shed little light on the matter.
After we finally heard what went down behind the mics (thanks to the Official Information Act), here’s what I think might have led to the kill order:
‘Pale, male, stale’
In response to a question from Moa about Christopher Luxon, Allan said the world has always been a place he can be comfortable in.
“It was always probably just an option on the table to become the Prime Minister, because why not,” Allan said.
“Could have been anyone right, any white, pale, male stale,” Moa responded, “It could have been my grandad. People wanted to vote for National because they were sick of Jacinda.”
During another exchange, Allan explains how before entering politics she said she was asked by almost every party to run for them.
“Even National?” Moa replied. “Were they wanting to top up the colours? Add a bit of brown to white town.”
That RNZ leaving speech
“I gave a speech at this farewell, this little media institution called RNZ, Radio New Zealand ...”
This, in my view, could also have been the moment the toes of RNZ decision-makers really started to curl.
Dunlop had earlier been tipped as a potential co-host on Morning Report, with broadcaster Ingrid Hipkiss instead being appointed to the job.
In the speech, Allan took aim at RNZ’s treatment of Māori reporters and urged the public broadcaster to have a look at its culture.
“There is something wrong within the organisation that will not, and has not been able to keep Māori talent and that is a question that I think deserves some deep reflection,” Allan said in the speech.
Allan told Moa that after this incident, she felt every story that came out about her in the media was negative.
“It took one thing and it started this rolling ball.”
She said Jacinda Ardern had left politics by that point and perhaps there was some boredom and the media needed another target.
“When the coverage is too good, that’s isolating, when the coverage is bad it’s isolating. So you’re often isolated.”
The treatment of wāhine Māori in politics and media
“The media go down on brown ... They just want to annihilate a certain people. Why, why are they doing this,” Moa said to Allan.
“It’s interesting that you’ve even raised that because I don’t think that many people see that, and it’s so funny because I think you have to be that to see that.”
Allan then pointed out other prominent Māori women politicians and rhetorically asked how they were treated.
“The system wasn’t designed for us, it wasn’t by us, it wasn’t designed for us. You go into it to try and challenge some of those things, and for as long as you can you do perhaps but that machinery is made to eat you.”
She then said all takatāpui Māori women politicians have left in “not positive ways”.
Moa told Allan it was a toxic environment, and she believes people get cancer and get ill in toxic places.
Given Moa is a musician – not a journalist or a news broadcaster – it’s difficult for me to understand what RNZ was expecting from a podcast that literally says “it’s personal” in its title.
Some listeners would have felt it was a soft interview where claims from Allan were left unchecked, and questions were left unasked.
There were plenty of times though when I was itching for Moa to interject.
Two examples:
In one, Allan said everyone (translation: the media) “kicked up” after she gave the speech at RNZ.
In another, Allan compared her treatment after she crashed her car while over the legal blood-alcohol limit to that of ex-All Black Dan Carter, whose career she believed wasn’t defined by his 2017 drink-driving incident while playing for Racing 92 in France.
Moa did not press Allan on her own conduct.
A reporter, during both exchanges, should have probed or interjected with the likes of, “Well, you did breach the Cabinet manual during that speech,” or, “Unlike Carter, you were an elected public official and the Minister of Justice at the time”.
Moa, however, isn’t pretending she’s a Jack Tame, a Tova O’Brien or a Guyon Espiner.
Some listeners would have found the interview an empathetic conversation between two wahine Māori who have both experienced the extreme highs and lows of being in the public eye.
Allan is candid about the suicidal thoughts that have gnawed at her since childhood and how she was unable to manage those feelings as they became “bigger and darker and deeper”.
“But we don’t talk about it like that, we talk about it like it’s this choice, like I choose to feel suicidal at the moment.”
Perhaps the very nature of Moa’s gentle approach allowed Allan to feel safe enough to share more details about her lowest moments.
The episode raised important issues on mental health, suicide, the treatment of Māori women in New Zealand politics. All, in my view, are issues that would have been beneficial for the public to hear.
My two cents: RNZ could have released an edited version of the podcast, saved itself the controversy, and allowed audiences to benefit from hearing someone like Allan speak about things many never feel safe to share.
One upside for RNZ and Moa, at least more people know about the podcast now.
Newstalk ZB’s Jason Walls has worn many hats over his 11 years in journalism. Now working as the station’s political editor in the gallery, the freshly-married Walls is currently in Samoa covering the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.
Auckland agency Colenso BBDO has ended its subscription to the marketing media platform Campaign Brief after a “thoughtless” lack of gender representation in its most recent issue.
The controversy came after Campaign Brief, which hosts industry news from Aotearoa, Australia and Asia, shared its advertising best-of list with a jarring lack of female representation.
In a LinkedIn post, Colenso BBDO wrote it would no longer be submitting its work, news or featuring its people in any Campaign Brief publication.
“This includes bestadsontv.com and competing for the CB Agency of the Year titles,” the company wrote.
“As an agency, we are always searching for more ways to champion diversity, inclusivity and create a supportive environment for our people. Unanimously, we conclude that in its current form, Campaign Brief fits best in our past.”
Going forward, the agency said it will actively focus on partners that encourage growth, positivity and progression.
Campaign Brief co-publisher Michael Lynch apologised and wrote in an article that the site was taking the community’s concerns seriously.
“While the list reflects the current makeup of CCO leadership in creative departments, it is not an endorsement of the imbalance,” he wrote.
The list was the result of ranking the top ad agencies and production companies specifically in Campaign Brief’s annual award show, The Work, Lynch said.
“The CCOs of the nine top-ranking Australian agencies in The Work 2024 and three top-ranking New Zealand agencies are all male. We 100% agree that using all male photos was an irresponsible mistake and not a good look for us, and not a good look for our industry.”
He also apologised for any embarrassment or criticism directed at any of those featured.
In a statement provided to Media Insider, Lynch said it was unfair for a publication to be blamed for the lack of “females being appointed” to the most senior creative positions in ad agencies on both sides of the Tasman.
“This is on the agencies, not a trade publication.”
He said the outcry was based on the site’s three-page spread on The Work 2024 winners and in the future they will feature work-only, not pictures of the CCOs of the winning agencies.
“Campaign Brief has published numerous articles on top women creatives and their work going back to our start in 1987.”
'I can imagine people being outraged that TVNZ signed a deal with me.'