Misinformation

Two percent of New Zealanders believe the March 15 mosque shootings were faked, and nine percent don't believe the Covid 19 virus is real.

Those are just two of the findings from a survey released… Audio

New research has found half of New Zealand holds at least one belief based on misinformation. The survey of 2300 people has also found 82 percent are somewhat or very concerned about the spread of… Audio

A new nationwide survey has shone a light on the rise of misinformation and the concern New Zealanders have about it. The research commissioned by the Classification Office has found exposure to false… Audio

Most New Zealanders have been exposed to misinformation and are increasingly concerned about it, according to a survey by the Classification Office. The Chief Censor says it shows the need for urgent…

The Medical Council has warned that New Zealand doctors who spread misinformation about the Covid-19 pandemic and the vaccination rollout could lose their jobs.

The council has recieved 13 complaints… Audio

The Medical Council is warning doctors that if they spread misinformation about the Covid-19 pandemic and vaccination rollout, they could face losing their jobs.

The council has received 13… Audio

Pacific and Maori church leaders are stepping up in the battle against misinformation about Covid-19 vaccination. Audio

How did the media break last Sunday’s sudden news of a change to Covid-19 alert levels? And how did they cover the response, the science behind it and the decision to shift back down again - just as… Audio

GNS Science is one of 13 parties charged by WorkSafe over the Whakaari White island explosion. Professor Troy Baisden, president of the New Zealand Association of Scientists, talks to Colin about the… Audio

The election was done and dusted weeks ago, but this week the advertising watchdog ruled another online election campaign ad was misleading. Mediawatch asks the Advertising Standards Authority: is the… Audio

Media networks were at last able to name the winner of the 'Race to the White House' this morning after treading water for days. Meanwhile the sitting President gave them all a huge headache: how to… Video, Audio

Fears that foreign political consultants and fringe parties would turn Facebook followers and fake news into votes in the election proved unfounded. The major parties mostly ran a clean game online… Audio

Professor of Law at Waikato University, Alexander Gillespie, joins The Panel to discuss the line between free speech and scare speech amid misinformation about Covid-19. Audio

Last weekend an inaccurate claim about suicide spread so far online that both the Ministry of Health and the Mental Health Foundation moved to debunk it. Hayden Donnell looks at how it happened - and…

Technology commentator Bill Bennett looks at why so many cell towers have been attacked globally and here in New Zealand, as misinformation stirs fear and ignorance over a non-existent link between 5G… Audio

People point the finger at politicians, platforms and the news media for the spread of fake news and misinformation, but an expert tells Mediawatch the PR industry’s role usually goes under the radar… Video, Audio

Recent elections overseas were won by narrow margins amid claims voters were influenced by misleading messages injected straight into their social media feeds by political parties.  Is that what we… Video, Audio

In a world bursting with information - and misinformation- how can we cut through to what is real? Dr Jess Berentson-Shaw is a research associate at the Public Policy Institute at The University of… Audio

The world's biggest social media network has always insisted it's only a platform for news you can use and not a publisher. But under pressure over fake news, it's now hooking up with news media in… Video, Audio

Social media can give the news media an almost unlimited number of eyeballs for stories. But they can also be used to target the media and put pressure on journalists. Mediawatch meets an… Video, Audio