Media policy mustn't become a toxic issue after merger u-turn, says expert

Thursday, 9 February 2023

A “national discussion” on the future of the media is still needed, says former NZ Herald editor Gavin Ellis.

There is a risk that politicians may be reluctant to discuss the challenges facing the media after the cancellation of the planned merger of TVNZ and RNZ, a media consultant says.

Former New Zealand Herald editor Gavin Ellis agreed that the future of public media could become a toxic issue for politicians in the wake of the Government's about-turn on the merger on Wednesday.

The Culture and Heritage Ministry said that $16.1 million had been spent on the merger as of the end of December.

Deputy chief executive Emily Fabling confirmed on Thursday that included the costs of the establishment team, including staff and contractors involved in the business case, costs reimbursed to RNZ and TVNZ, and other specialist services such as legal and recruitment costs.

* RNZ-TVNZ merger gone, minimum wage rises, policies delayed in Government 'refocus'

* What would become of TVNZ and RNZ if their merger is shelved?

National Party media spokesperson Melissa Lee described the spending as “a big waste”.

But Ellis said “a broad based national conversation” about the future of the media would still be needed in a next few years as a result of technology changes and ongoing concerns over misinformation.

“One of the things that really worries me is the potential for ‘generative artificial intelligence’, ChatGPT and so on, to be used for malign purposes,” he said.

“The news media have a very real part to play countering that sort of malignancy – misinformation and so on. But are they really able to do that and do they have the support that they need? Those sorts of questions have still got to be answered.”

Generative artificial intelligence is a term used to describe algorithms that can be used to automatically create content, including material that may appear to be journalism, from text, audio and video clips and other pieces of data.

Both the Government and National have signalled they would be prepared to put more funding into RNZ.

Hipkins also said on Wednesday that the Government would press ahead with a proposed law change that will require internet giants Google and Meta to fund news organisations if they facilitate access to their content through their online platforms.

Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson has forecast that would create an extra funding stream worth between $30m and $50m for the media.

But Ellis believed “new structures” and not just additional funding would be required to address the challenges facing the media, pointing to the predicted demise of more traditional media technologies such as “linear” broadcast radio and television.

“There is a need for all sectors of society to sit down and really look carefully at what we want our media landscape to look like,” Ellis said.

The merger became “a political football” but the goal now should be to reach a political consensus, he said.

Myles Thomas, chairperson of the lobby group Better Public Media, said the decision not to fold TVNZ and RNZ into a new public media entity was disappointing “after so many years of waiting and working with various committees to try to make this happen”.

The process had been badly mishandled by the working group set up to advance the merger and by broadcasting ministers themselves, Thomas said.

“Mind you, taking on the various media organisations in New Zealand is a tough job,” he said, referring to opposition to the merger from commercial media organisations.

“They wield a lot of power, and it takes a bold politician to make structural improvements to our media, even if the improvements were for all stakeholders,” he said.