Media Matters: MediaWorks takes long view on eve of integrated newsroom launch

Click the NBR Radio box for on-demand special feature audio: Chelsea Armitage, Campbell Gibson and Nick Grant talk about the inner workings of New Zealand media.

In this instalment of Media Matters, NBR Radio’s Andrew Patterson chats with Chelsea Armitage, Campbell Gibson and Nick Grant about the inner workings of New Zealand media.

First up for discussion is the news that MediaWorks chief executive Mark Weldon “has agreed with the board and the owner for a meaningful contract extension, which was recently signed.”

This was sourced from an internal email to staff from chairman Rod McGeoch in which he referenced an anonymous campaign last week encouraging people to boycott Mr Weldon’s Terra Sancta wine “because he doesn’t support journalism” – presumably a reference to the cancellation of Campbell Live earlier this year and the review of the future of current affairs show 3D, which has since seen affected staff lawyer up.

The memo states that “we had no intention of making a public announcement on this” and yet the corporate message soon found its way to various rival media organisations.

Given the frequency with which internal MediaWorks communications have been leaked in recent times, it’s tempting to think that management saw this as a way of making a public statement without making a public statement. If so, well played, MediaWorks, well played indeed.

The confirmation that Mr Weldon, the board and owner Oaktree are committed to him staying on indefinitely as CEO is an interesting development, after speculation to the contrary. It’s not entirely surprising, however, given the pitch that Mr Weldon has been making to advertisers both here and across the ditch – as reported by NBR and discussed on Media Matters last week – involves a much longer term focus than what the company presented to the market last year.

On the subject of which, it's understood that staff will begin moving into MediaWorks’ new $5 million integrated newsroom next week and that younger staff especially are looking forward to the new working environment aimed at ensuring seamless cooperation between the company's TV, radio and digital journalists.

Another sign of media convergence is the launch of NZME’s first dedicated online video channel, watchme.co.nz, on which the handful of shows are all comedies, many of them featuring people already working for the company, such as Jeremy Wells, whose ‘Like Mike’ radio segment now gets the added visual element of a Mike Hosking hand puppet.

Finally, Mr Gibson – who is handing over the media round to Ms Armitage – reflects on what he felt was one of the more interesting stories he’s covered over the past 18 months.

He nominates the issue of ad blocking, something he knew he had to start writing about when it came up in conversation with a senior advertising executive who admitted they didn’t know anything about the rapidly growing threat to online advertising.

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