The Wire with Caeden

Admist the ongoing rounds of missile strikes being traded between Israel and Iran, Oto spoke to Professor Stephen Hoadley, a retired Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Auckland who gave us a wider contextual understanding of the situation.

He’s also stressed that his views are his own and not related to any institutions he worked for formerly.

Content warning: this story deals with discussions of eating disorders

Recently, RNZ published an article about a young person who passed away in 2023 in emergency accommodation due to his battle with his eating disorder.

However, the article has faced backlash for its portrayal of the young person. 

Despite the young person in question; Alex, who identified as trans, the article, at his parents request, referred to him by his deadname and did not use his preferred pronouns. The article mixed in non-gender specific pronouns and the name ‘V,’ depending on an individual's relationship to Alex that was not his parents.

News and Editorial Director, Joel, spoke to the President of the Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa’s Jennifer Shields, about RNZ’s coverage and how this may impact trans rangatahi in the country.

The coverage of this story has also raised the question of what responsible coverage should look like, for a story like this.

According to RNZ’s Rainbow Communities Reporting and Content Guidelines, as Alex could not communicate his wishes, RNZ opted to cover the story the way they did through his parents.

Joel also spoke to the Academic Advisor to Journalism at AUT, Greg Treadwell, about the coverage of this story, and if he believes the coverage is adequate.

LGBTQIA+ organisations to contact for support and resources:

Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa

InsideOUT Kōaro

RainbowYOUTH

Gender Minorities Aotearoa

NZ Parents and Guardians of Transgender and Gender Diverse Children

Be There 

OUTLine Aotearoa: 0800 688 5463 (6pm-9pm) for specialist, 24/7, confidential, mental health support, that also provides specialist counselling for LGBTQIA+ individuals and whānau.

Last week, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston announced plans to double the tourism value by 2034, with increased funding to support the country in reaching this goal. The funding is primarily targeted at increasing the marketing of New Zealand tourism overseas, which has been met with mixed reactions from tourism operators in Aotearoa, many of whom have been struggling with existing tourist numbers.

Also this past week, the New Zealand government imposed sanctions on two Israeli ministers for ‘inciting extremist violence’ against Palestinians. While the move has received cross-party support, opposition parties such as the Greens and Te Pāti Māori have criticised the government for not taking further action against Israel.

In our weekly catchup with National's Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about each of these issues, beginning with the new tourism funding. 

The government has discussed potential changes to how sick leave is allocated, scaling sick leave days with the number of hours a person works. While this wouldn’t affect the days available to full-time workers, it could see part-time workers with reduced access to sick leave. This has raised some concerns around disproportionate outcomes for women and students, two groups that tend to be employed in more part-time roles. 

Wire host Castor spoke to professional teaching fellow at the University of Auckland, Simon Schofield, about the proposed sick leave changes and how they could disproportionately affect some demographics.