Hard News by Russell Brown

Read Post

Hard News: Media7 will soon be Media3

166 Responses

First ←Older Page 1 3 4 5 6 7 Newer→ Last

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Sacha,

    I think Jackie’s suggestions upthread are perfectly valid topics for critical media attention.

    I presume you mean these.

    We’d talk about dogs. And houses. And Crown Lynn. And Dads. And dogs.

    Unless those subjects become a focus of media coverage, I don’t imagine we’ll be seeing them on Media3 any time soon.

    Quite.

    Hilary, we don't just pick random topics for a yarn. We're a place for discussion about the media, and our guests tend to be media practioners, commentators and educators, or people who have been the subject of media coverage.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark,

    Alas, it's true. No expert in media am I. To be fair to Russell and his team, it is a show about the media, with panel discussions by people in that field.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace, in reply to Russell Brown,

    OK - here's a serious media question that would involve female expertise in their role as professional television reviewers. Why don't the television reviewers in many of the major dailies and magazines ever mention TVNZ7? They write about obscure programmes on the far reaches of Sky but never seem to review anything on TVNZ7. Is that due to political or editorial pressure?

    Maybe TV is finishing in a couple of weeks and this question will be redundant, but if there is an ongoing campaign for public broadcasting, which I hope there is, will television reviewers be able to publicly support it?

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __, in reply to Russell Brown,

    We’re a place for discussion about the media

    Nothing to stop others from working up their own show on a topic of their own choosing. I recognise how much hard slog Russell and the Media 7 team must have done to carve out the niche that they have. And then be respected enough to carry it to another station. Salute y'all.

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace, in reply to Jackie Clark,

    Where would any TV programme be without a valued audience?

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Hilary Stace,

    OK – here’s a serious media question that would involve female expertise in their role as professional television reviewers.

    Like Diana Wichtel, who we have asked more than once but refuses to come on television. Or a certain Fiona Rae, who has also turned us down. Throng’s Rachel Cunliffe, on the other hand, is comfortable on camera and has been really good value for us.

    Why don’t the television reviewers in many of the major dailies and magazines ever mention TVNZ7? They write about obscure programmes on the far reaches of Sky but never seem to review anything on TVNZ7. Is that due to political or editorial pressure?

    We’ve actually had some really glowing write-ups from newspaper reviewers. I’m not complaining.

    But the main problem is the failure of TVNZ and APN to reach agreement about listings when 6 and 7 first started. TVNZ was prepared to provide forward listening for free –APN wanted a discount off its existing bill if it was to add 6 and 7 listenings.

    I suspect there was fault both ways, but it seems to me that APN’s behaviour shows contempt for the readers of its own publications. Not only are no forward listings published in any of the publications, but publicity coverage of any kind has been hard to come by, and it seems to be a consequence of the dispute.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __, in reply to Russell Brown,

    a certain Fiona Rae, who has also turned us down

    Oh dear!

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • Ross Mason, in reply to Lilith __,

    a certain Fiona Rae, who has also turned us down

    Heh. Didn't Stephen Price manage it on the Court Report???

    :-)

    Upper Hutt • Since Jun 2007 • 1590 posts Report Reply

  • Deborah,

    Hmmm.... I have noticed the gender balance on Media7, and on other media - The Panel on Radio NZ is none too flash when it comes to diversity. It's not great.

    It makes me think a little of the gendered conference campaign being run by Feminist Philosophers. (un)Surprisingly, it turns out that when it comes to philsopophy, the experts are always and everywhere male, so there's an astonishing number of all-male line-ups at conferences. Since drawing attention to the problem, and suggesting ways for getting more women on panels, the gender diversity at philsophy conferences has started to improve. But it has taken a concerted effort: writing to conference organisers to point out that they have a severe gender imbalance; developing lists of speakers; suggesting women who would be good speakers; pointing out that given the gendered nature of caring it may be necessary to help a woman with childcare. Some organisers hae been defensive and resistant, because afterall, they are fair minded, logical, impartial thinkers and it just so happens that all the best philosophers are male. Riiiiiiiiggghhhhttttt.

    On the other hand, I have been invited to appear on Media7 twice. Once I turned it down, because I was not prepared to hold myself out as an expert in that area, and the childcare issues would have been ... frantic. Details here, if you're interested. Once I was able to get there, and it was great fun. On the gripping hand, it won't change unless a concerted effort is made to change it.

    I suppose I feel a little discouraged about the presence of women in the meda and commentariat. The Herald On Sunday has just dropped Deborah Coddington, and replaced her with Rodney Hide, so that the Sunday line-up is now almost exclusively male. The weekday Herald is much better. OTOH the Dom Post is lacking in women's voices: I can think of only two female columnists - Rosemary McLeod and Tracey Watkins - 'though there may be more.

    An astonishing statistic came out of the US recenty: even on issues that are regarded as women's issues such as abortion and birth control, men are quoted around five times more than women. It all goes to show who is regarded as authoritative, and who is not.

    A topic for a Media 3 episode, perhaps?

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Deborah,

    An astonishing statistic came out of the US recenty: even on issues that are regarded as women’s issues such as abortion and birth control, men are quoted around five times more than women. It all goes to show who is regarded as authoritative, and who is not.

    A topic for a Media 3 episode, perhaps?

    This week's show is about representations of women in the media. Giant topic, I know -- but that's a very useful data point for us.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark,

    How on topic are we then? We are the zeitgeist.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Ah: here it is.

    Sarah Daniell spotted this Guardian data blog which counts female voices in UK newspapers and panel shows.

    Interesting, the least male-dominated of the dailies is ... The Daily Mail, although that is probably related to the celebrity-oriented "feMail" content that makes the mail's website such an audience juggernaut.

    We'll note Media7's ratio too. But try not to wear the topic out today -- I'll write a whole blog post about it tomorrow. There will be a test.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Deborah,

    On the gripping hand, it won’t change unless a concerted effort is made to change it.

    That’s true – but there’s also the right way and the wrong way. Sci-fi fandom is, all too often fairly, as being a huge slab of HAM (hetro, Anglo and male) – and a pretty rancid, borderline misogynist one at that. But I have an acquaintance who was not charmed at being invited to sit on a con panel because “THE WOMAN dropped out” – and I don’t think they meant Sherlock Holmes’ platonic paramour, Irene Adler.

    Ten out of ten for good intentions. Minus several million for execution.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Deborah, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    Absolutely. But I don’t think we will get past tokenism by just letting things be. I have things to say about that but (a) I really need to go and do my paid work and (b) I might leave it for tomorrow, per mine host’s request.

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle, in reply to Hilary Stace,

    media expertise or glamour

    Emma is the one with both of those, right? I'm currently wearing sheepskin slippers while fending off baby-puke, and I only have really well thought-out opinions on the construction of gender in, uh, Millionaire Matchmaker.

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Deborah,

    Absolutely. But I don’t think we will get past tokenism by just letting things be.

    No disagreement from me – but it’s a little more complex that just saying “vagina, melanin, queer, three straight white guys, my work is done let’s go to the bar!” No it really isn’t; you're heart might be in the right place, but that’s condescending pseudo-diversity.

    It’s a lot harder (and more worthwhile) to play the long-game of being clear-eyed and self-critical of whatever privilege goggles (sorry, Russell, know you hate the term but there’s a point coming up) you bring to the table and consciously widen your frame of reference. If you’re tempted to invite Witi Ihimaera to a panel on Maori writers for the squillionth time, how about Patricia Grace instead? If you’re programing a convention, wouldn’t a fresh angle on The Walking Dead be an hour with executive producer Gale Ann Hurd – who has great stories, and a not often heard perspective, as a woman in the macho world of action/genre films?

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen, in reply to Deborah,

    the experts are always and everywhere male

    God yes! It drives me crazy. Scientists who actually have all the data at hand that without any shadow of a doubt show that diversity (esp. gender diversity) in leadership of science is good still persist in giving all the leadership/expert roles to men. Gah! Our CRIs in NZ are full of old boys clubs. It's getting better but too often the women in leadership positions are those that behave as if they are men (to fit in) or there simply to take minutes and organise the lunch.

    I so want some government to come through and mandate that 50% of the leadership roles must be filled by women instead of relegating them to the /patronising "technical positions they are so well suited for" /patronising. And yes I have heard those words dribble out of the mouth of an executive.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace,

    I'm not commenting on the main proposition, but there is a complication in the argument in that a few of the women who do get to positions of power immediately pull up the ladder behind them and become worse bullies than the men they replaced.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart, in reply to Danielle,

    media expertise or glamour

    Emma is the one with both of those, right?

    I just snorted so bad. I live in my sheepskin booties these days. Also, as Russell knows full well, there are no circumstances under which I will do a Guest Vagina spot. Being "singled out" (along with all the other women) knowing my name wouldn't be coming up if I weren't female is something I find, well, excrutiatingly patronising.

    Also, oddly, I seem to have ended up with expertise in an area overwhelmingly dominated by female voices: sex. Where are all the straight cis male sex bloggers, hm?

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Emma Hart,

    Russell knows full well, there are no circumstances under which I will do a Guest Vagina spot.

    Your vagina will always be a headliner to me. Sort of. Well, not really. Time to derail this train of thought...

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    If you’re tempted to invite Witi Ihimaera to a panel on Maori writers for the squillionth time, how about Patricia Grace instead?

    You've got it. And that's the one we can work on.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Ross Mason, in reply to Emma Hart,

    Where are all the straight cis male sex bloggers, hm?

    I suspect petrified of writing about it as they would likely be firebombed or tied to lamp posts if they did. Given what happens to "perverts" in this country.

    Upper Hutt • Since Jun 2007 • 1590 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    You now have me thinking of (in)appropriate media-metaphors. "My vagina will be the Charo on the Love Boat of Media3 guest appearances!"

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Deborah, in reply to Ross Mason,

    I would have thought that we might have changed a little in the last 28 years. And even going back 28 years, it's not clear that it was *writing* about sex that led to the assault.

    Even so, sitting in my armchair and speculating (that's code for saying that I have done no research whatsoever), it does seem to me to be plausible to suggest that it might be in a sense more permissable for straight cis women to blog about sex and sexuality than it is for straight cis men to blog about sex and sexuality. But I don't really know, and perhaps it's a topic for another day and another thread.

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Deborah,

    Even so, sitting in my armchair and speculating (that’s code for saying that I have done no research whatsoever), it does seem to me to be plausible to suggest that it might be in a sense more permissable for straight cis women to blog about sex and sexuality than it is for straight cis men to blog about sex and sexuality.

    Dunno. Locally, we're really only talking about one troubled commenter who acts out by trying to control everyone else's language.

    But I don’t really know, and perhaps it’s a topic for another day and another thread.

    Yeah, probably.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

First ←Older Page 1 3 4 5 6 7 Newer→ Last

Post your response…

Please sign in using your Public Address credentials…

Login

You may also create an account or retrieve your password.