One News

Did you know that people interviewed on ONE News and 3 News are referred to as “talent” by reporters?  We were surprised and uncomfortable to hear it being used in this context.  Of course, we’ve heard it in relation to actors, hosts, reality show contestants etc before.

When Kate Lynch and Amanda Gillies clarified their recent stories to Throng, both used the curious word:

We weren’t the only ones to notice the use of the word.  

Vaughan Davis tweeted: “‘Talent?’ I’d never heard that term used for the subject of a news story before. Is it common?  Familiar from ad and programme production but hadn’t heard in a news context.”  

Wendypoo tweeted: “I was a little gobsmacked at that term too!  Yeah I wouldn’t have thought it would be used in news terms, doesn’t sound like a very creditible term”

What do you think about the use of the word “talent” in the context of a person being interviewed by a TV news crew?  

Here is a run down of the 5 most important stories on One News and 3 News tonight.  Please leave your comments on the bulletins in the comments below.

One News

1. Police shooting in South Auckland (Kate Lynch)
2. Newt Gingrich wins Carolina primary (Tim Wilson, live cross)
3. Terrorist attacks in Nigeria (Mark Doyle, BBC)
4. Central North Island earthquakes 
5. Couple win battle against council (Alison Pugh)

3 News

1. Police shooting in South Auckland (Amanda Gillies)
2. Newt Gingrich wins Carolina primary (Adam Hollingworth) 
3. High speed chase in Waikato
4. Drink driving blitz in Tasman
5. Solid Energy coal mine protest in Southland (Anna Burns-Francis)

Commentary

I am absolutely appalled at both networks tonight.  Both Kate Lynch and Amanda Gillies had interviews with neighbours of the man shot in the leg by police.  On One News, Kate Lynch interviewed a woman who, she told us, had asked not to be identified.  While her face had been blurred out, the rest of her body was clearly visible. Add to this the wide shots of inside their home, it would be plainly obvious to other residents on the street as to who it was.  On 3 News, Amanda Gillies interviewed a man with his face also blurred out.  In a following scene, there is footage of Gillies writing on a pad at a table that is clearly in the same home as the woman who was interviewed on One.  The fact that both networks failed so abysmally at protecting the identities of their interviewees is unbelievable.  Their names and faces may be unknown to the rest of us but I’m pretty sure Mr William Smith wouldn’t have too much difficulty in identifying them at all.

The Carolina Republican primary was the second story on both channels.  Tim Wilson likened Newt Gingrich’s win as giving him more political lives than Winston Peters.

I’m not sure the BBC’s Mark Doyle was quite, as Miriama Kao told us, “at the center of the violence” in Nigeria. He did happen to be outside the mortuary and have some images from Nigerian TV. 

Christchurch residents must have been laughing at One News tonight over their decision to publish details of two earthquakes that “rattled” Taupo this morning.  The 2.4 and 2.9 quakes fall into the description that wikipedia says are “generally not felt, but recorded”. 

One News finished on a somewhat positive story from Christchurch with one couple winning the right to stay in the home they’d been evicted from.

If it wasn’t for the same lack of respect for their interviewees, tonight would have been a complete whitewash for 3 News.

Verdict

Tie

UPDATE: Both Kate Lynch and Amanda Gillies have responded via twitter with the following:

@KateLynchJourno Thanks for your feedback. I discussed with the talent exactly what she was comfortable with us showing and complied with her wishes

@amandagTV3 I asked my talent what he was happy with, he only wanted his face blurred. He was happy with coverage.

Here is a run down of the 5 most important stories on One News and 3 News tonight.  Please leave your comments on the bulletins in the comments below.

One News

1. MegaUpload arrests (Kate Lynch, live cross)
2. Concern over NZ residents being extradited to the US (Nicole Bremner)
3. Robert Bennett to represent Megaupload (Tim Wilson, live cross)
4. Costa Concordia (Luisa Baldini, BBC)
5. Tony Abbott gaffe

3 News

1. Police shooting in South Auckland (Amanda Gillies, live cross, breaking news)
2. MegaUpload arrests (Adam Hollingworth)
3. Departure tax rise in Fiji (Rachel Tiffen)
4. Brooklands says goodbye (Anna Burns-Francis)
5. Costa Concordia (Paul Davies, ITV)

Commentary

It was less than perfect timing for Kate Lynch’s live cross outside Mt Eden Prison where MegaUpload’s Kim Dotcom was being held as the railway signal bells started ringing as soon as they returned to her from her story.  

And it was a reversal of coverage tonight with One News having three stories about the case against MegaUpload.com.  After the live cross to Kate Lynch, who was in the same city as the story, Nicole Bremner covered off the concern over residents being extradited to the US before Tim Wilson joined in from New York to disclose that Dotcom had hired the same attorney that had represented President Clinton during his Lewinsky drama. 

3 News lead with more not actually breaking “breaking news”.  The police shot someone in the leg at 4:20pm and Amanda Gillies was outside Middlemore hospital where we can assume the victim was receiving treatment.  

Verdict

Tie

Here is a run down of the 5 most important stories on One News and 3 News tonight.  Please leave your comments on the bulletins in the comments below.

One News

1. MegaUpload.com shutdown (Daniel Faitaua, live cross)
2. Search continues for 15 year old near O’Neill’s beach
3. Costa Concordia (Chris Cuomo, ABC)
4. Southland earthqakes
5. More complaints over repair delays in Christchurch (Joy Reid)

3 News

1. MegaUpload.com  (Adam Hollingworth)
2. Who is Kim Dotcom (Emma Jolliff)
3. MegaUpload.com shut down (Alex Bourne)
4. Manurewa rape
5. Accident at Grand Chancellor hotel deconstruction in Christchurch

Commentary

The big story of the day was the raid by New Zealand police on the old Chrisco Mansion where MegaUpload.com’s founder and New Zealand resident Kim Dotcom was living.  The file sharing website founder, along with other company executives were taken into custody following an FBI lead raid in the hopes of getting them extradited to the United States so they can face a US court on charges that include copyright infringement, money laundering and racketeering.

3 News had three stories about MegaUpload.com and the raid which took place in Coatesville, near Auckland.  One News had one story that featured a live cross to Daniel Faitaua – in Wellington.  3 News coverage was indepth but when talking about how the hacking group Anonymous had taken down the Department of Justice, among others, in response, they used the wrong website address (justice.govt.nz), despite the right address (justice.gov) coming up as they typed. 

Joy Reid’s story about complaints over the delay in getting repairs done in Christchurch seemed to be more of the same to me.  The big issue appeared to be that all the repairs had to be logged through the EQC and then Fletchers now rather than the previous way which was getting work done and then billing EQC.  Isn’t there some serious journalism that could be done in checking how that system is working rather than just complaining about it?

And while we’re on Christchurch, is there anything good actually happening down there?  Does anyone have a good experience to share about how they’ve been helped?  It seems that there is a lot of complaining that we’re constantly hearing about but not a lot of things that are positive.  One can only imagine that work is being done somewhere, helping someone but obviously those stories aren’t as “newsworthy”.

Verdict

Tie

Here is a run down of the 5 most important stories on One News and 3 News tonight.  Please leave your comments on the bulletins in the comments below.

ONE News

1. What’s left of the Rena (Kim Vinnell, live cross)
2. Costa Concordia (Matthew Price, BBC)
3. Body of swimmer recovered
4. 3 year old attacked by dog in Ashburton (Tom McRae)
5. Concerns for elderly in Christchurch (Joy Reid)

3 News

1. Meridian drops bid for Otago wind farm (Jono Hutchison)
2. Inflation rate falls (Tony Field)
3. Latest water incidents (Annabelle Tukia)
4. 3 year old attacked by dog in Ashburton
5. Costa Concordia 

Commentary

The shipwrecks lead One News tonight. Firstly the Rena and then the Costa Concordia.  It was the closest that Kim Vinnell had been to the Rena in a while and observed that there was a stench of rot in the air.  One News used the international affiliates at the BBC to file their story about the Costa Concordia before air a correction.

Last night they stated that New Zealand companies could decide when safety drills were taken.  They admitted that this was wrong and in fact they need to be taken within 24 hours of boarding.

3 News had the Costa Concordia coverage at #5.

Both networks covered the 3 year old from Ashburton who was attacked by a dog while eating chocolate.

3 News covered a number of incidents in and around water while One News just mentioned the body of the Titahi Bay swimmer that had been missing had now been found.

Joy Reid went out with the Red Cross in Christchurch to visit the elderly in place five.  Not sure that was really news.

3 News also had coverage of the inflation figures and the subsequent reduced cost of living.  

Verdict

Tie

Here is a run down of the 5 most important stories on One News and 3 News tonight.  Please leave your comments on the bulletins in the comments below.

ONE News

1. Accused pleads guilty in Turangi assault (Kim Vinnell)
2. Hastings fire (Catherine Wedd)
3. Costa Concordia captain under fire (Chris Cuomo, ABC)
4. Gareth Morgan sells Kiwisaver scheme to Kiwibank (Renee Graham)
5. Zion Wildlife Park’s cats safe for now

3 News

1. Costa Concordia captain under fire (Martin Geissler, ITV)
2. Accused pleads guilty in Turangi assault (Tova O’Brien)
3. Hastings fire (Dan Parker)
4. Zion Wildlife Park’s cats safe for now (Tony Reid, live cross)
5. Rain impacts Otage stone fruit growers (Anna Burns-Francis)

Commentary

Four of the top five stories on both One News and 3 News were the same tonight with the sale of Gareth Morgan’s investment company at fourth place on One and how the rain has impacted exports for Otago stone fruit growers at five on 3 being the only different stories.

Of the four stories in common, 3 News had a report from ITV’s Martin Geissler who was actually in Italy as well as a live cross to Tony Reid outside the court for an update on the Zion cats.

Verdict

Tie

Here is a run down of the 5 most important stories on One News and 3 News tonight.  Please leave your comments on the bulletins in the comments below.

ONE News

1. Christchurch earthquake (Alison Pugh)
2. Hotel Grand Chancellor (Tom McRae)
3. Costa Concordia sinking (Garth Bray)
4. Safety drills (Lisa Stark, ABC)
5. Rena salvage

3 News

1. Body in the drain (Dan Parker)
2. Last Big Day Out in New Zealand (David Farrier, live cross, exclusive)
3. Creditors want to euthanise Zion’s big cats (Tony Reid)
4. Arrests made in Manchester Street (Annabelle Tukia, live cross)
5. Costa Concordia sinking

Commentary

It was more “not yet, but soon” on One News tonight as Alison Pugh told us that decisions are coming on the damaged zones in Christchurch.  How could One News lead with an item that had absolutely no news value what-so-ever?  More upset home owners complaining about the situation but nothing to tell them about what’s going to happen for them.

One News also covered the Royal Commission looking at the Christchurch earthquake and how design changes in the Grand Chancellor were responsible for its demise.  Then it was back to the boats.

I didn’t mention it last night but what is the point in having Garth Bray filing reports from London about the Costa Concordia?  Unless he’s flying in and out of Italy every day, the job could be done from Auckland.

3 News had a very different bulletin.  They lead with the story about the body of 43 year old Peter Black in a drain near Te Papa which he appears to have died in after trying to retrieve his car keys.

Next up was an exclusive by David Farrier that, while newsworthy, felt a lot like an infomercial for the music festival that is ending its run in New Zealand this week.

A bank wanting to euthanise endangered cats is too good a story not to run if you want an emotive response from your viewers.

And while the earthquake has the eastern suburbs upset, it’s the street workers in the city that have the ire of residents. The police made 14 arrests last night which featured in fourth place on 3 News before the boats rounded out the top 5.

Verdict

Tie

Here is a run down of the 5 most important stories on One News and 3 News tonight.  Please leave your comments on the bulletins in the comments below.

ONE News

1. Hinekawa Topia homicide (John Newton, live cross)
2. Calls for action against child abuse (Kate Lynch)
3. Costa Concordia sinking (Garth Bray)
4. Costa Concordia sinking (Lisa Stark, ABC)
5. Rena salvage

3 News

1. Trans-Tasman rowers (Tony Reid, exclusive)
2. Trans-Atlantic rowers
3. Body in storm water drain (Dan Parker)
4. Costa Concordia sinking (Martin Geissler, ITV)
5. Toddler rescued from lift shaft (Samantha Hayes)

Commentary

Other than the sinking of the cruise ship Costa Concordia, the bulletins were very different tonight.  One News lead with the latest child to die from abuse while it was the exclusive coverage of the trans-tasman and trans-atlantic rowers on 3 News.  The child abuse didn’t appear on 3 until the second segment.

The rest of One News was all about the boats while 3 News had an update on the body in the drain near Te Papa and the story of the toddler who was stuck in a lift shaft in Melbourne for an hour today. 

Verdict

Tie

Here is a run down of the 5 most important stories on One News and 3 News tonight.  Please leave your comments on the bulletins in the comments below.

ONE News

1. Cruise ship capsizes in italy (Alan Johnstone, BBC)
2. Background of Costa Concordia (Richard Wescott, BBC)
3. Fraudsters trying to cash in on Rena (Kim Vinnell)
4. Swimming deaths (Sarah Batley)
5. Body found in storm water drain near Te Papa

3 News

1. Cruise ship capsizes in Italy (Martin Geissler, ITV)
2. Cruise ship capsizes in Italy
3. Body found in storm water drain near Te Papa (Dan Parker, live cross, breaking news)
4. Trans Tasman Rowers (Kim Choe)
5. Homicide case over 2 year old death in Wanganui (Sanele Chadwick)

Commentary

Both news networks lead with a story that happened more than 24 hours ago, deciding to cover a new strickened ship, the Costa Concordia.  

I was surprised to see Renee Graham’s exclusive about the amount of money paid by mining companies for digging up the earth on conservation land outside of the top 5.  I’m surprised One News didn’t lead with the item.

It’s taken 15 days but Matt Claridge from Water Safety New Zealand finally landed some of his annual screen time, delivering the usual sound bites.

3 News had the body in the drain in Wellington as breaking news.  The body was discovered at midday and the police issued a press release at 3:47pm. 

Verdict

One News

Here is a run down of the 5 most important stories on One News and 3 News tonight.  Please leave your comments on the bulletins in the comments below.

ONE News

1. French credit downgrade (Rawdon Christie)
2. Man dies using chainsaw in Christchurch
3. Fishing deaths
4. Rena salvage (Kim Vinnell, live cross)
5. Korean fishermen arrive in Christchurch

3 News

1. Fishing deaths in Tauranga (Jane Luscombe)
2. Swimming deaths
3. Drug lab fire in Epsom motel (Adrian Taylor)
4. French credit downgrade (Juliet Speedy)
5. Rena salvage

Commentary

The French credit downgrade and implications for New Zealand exporters lead One News tonight and was reported on by Rawdon Christie, who was also reading the news tonight.  3 News had it in 4 place.

The death of a Christchurch man was in second place on One News, perhaps ahead of the fishing death stories because it involved a chainsaw.

Kim Vinnell looked like inspector gadget during her live cross from Mount Maunganui. A black trench-coat looking jacket can’t have been the coolest thing to be wearing out in that Bay of Plenty sun.  Again, nothing happening, yet.  3 News covered the minor developments of the day in passing.

3 News had footage from the scene of the fishing death in Tauranga.  The face of the victim was blurred as paramedics worked on trying to revive him. 

Drownings elsewhere in the country were in second place on 3 News, including the death of an older man in a swimming competition in Taupo.  One News had the story as breaking news midway through their bulletin.

Verdict

Tie