Getting the message out (about natural disasters)

Communicating with the public has never been so hard, or so important

Feb 03, 2023

Kia ora and welcome to The Weekend, the newsletter featuring the best links of the week from The Spinoff and around the internet. Textures of water I’ve experienced this week: fine, floaty drizzle; fat drops in a downpour; steamy air thick with water and heat; very welcome cold water straight from the fridge; and an ocean that looks like jelly. I hope that everyone who has dealt with stressful weather and its impact this week is doing well. This week, we’re talking about books, menopause, immigration policies and communicating clearly. Pour yourself some Coffee Supreme and settle in.

-Shanti Mathias, staff writer

When clear communication washes away in the flood

Auckland mayor Wayne Brown did not cover himself in glory last weekend. Image: Getty Images/Archi Banal

In the wake of Auckland’s devastating floods, Wayne Brown, Civil Defence, Waka Kotahi and the Ministry of Education all failed to clearly communicate what was happening and why, leaving many people infuriated and confused. From a communications perspective, it was a disaster. Duncan Greive says that part of the reason is that audiences are so spread out – not just across TV and radio, but on different social networks curated to their patterns of attention. But that doesn’t excuse last weekend’s failures. A crisis is when communications professionals are most important, and they have to be there to deliver timely information to people in need.

Empathetic leadership is not a magical superpower – it’s a necessary skill in a time of crisis, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell

Introducing the Coffee Supreme Iced Coffee range. Roasted for flavour, cold-brewed for taste and canned for convenience —good times by the can are here.Perfect for those rushed mornings, sunny arvos or when you’re packing the chilly bin. Available online by the 4-pack now or by the can at your local cafe who uses Supreme. Grab yours.

Number of the week: 501

The “501” policy, named after a section of Australia’s immigration law that allows any migrant – including those born in New Zealand – to be deported if they’re not deemed to be “of good character”. Prime minister Anthony Albanese announced a shift in policy this week that will take into account the length of residence in Australia before revoking their right to live in the country. The move was welcomed by Chris Hipkins, who will meet Albanese in Canberra next week. The policy, as well as the detention centres that potential deportees are held in, have been widely decried as inhumane. Don Rowe assesses the impact that the 501 policy has had on Aotearoa, and what it indicates about politics on both sides of the Tasman.

10-year-olds can be charged with murder in NZ. The UN says that should change

Why talking about menopause matters

Last Saturday, on her regular morning show, RNZ stalwart Kim Hill was complaining about menopause discourse. “I feel like menopause has gone from the condition that cannot speak its name to the condition that won’t shut up. It’s everywhere,” she said. It reminded Nikki Bezzant, author of a book about menopause, of the long history of discounting people with ovaries because of what happens in their bodies. The assumption that talking about menopause means that you’re talking about how women are weaker is in itself sexist, Bezzant argues. It’s possible – and important – to broaden discussions of these realities of biology. In fact, better understanding gives the sexist comments less power.

The Spinoff's independent, homegrown journalism is only possible because of the support of our members. Their generous donations power all our work and help keep it freely available to all. Tautoko The Spinoff this year by becoming a member, making a new donation or encouraging your organisation to donate.

Key takeaways from the cabinet reshuffle

Chris Hipkins juggling a selection of breads and butters. Image: Archi Banal

With a new prime minister comes a new arrangement of cabinet ministers – after all, someone has to take up all the portfolios that Hipkins has vacated. His reshuffle also meant a re-ordering of the Labour party list. Toby Manhire surveys the changes, which include Michael Wood adding associate finance minister and Auckland issues to his immigration, transport, and workplace relations portfolios, Ayesha Verrall becoming health minister, and Jan Tinetti taking up education. Hipkins hasn’t taken a symbolic portfolio for himself, like Ardern did with child poverty and Key did with tourism. “No artisan loaves for him. No fancy condiments. Just the bread. And the butter,” writes Manhire.

Gone by Lunchtime on the Auckland portfolio, floods, and the latest polling

A long, long, long list of weekend reading

Your 2023 Ockham Book Awards longlist (Brainteaser: spot the cover that’s in there twice) (Image: Archi Banal)

The longlist for the 2023 Ockham Book Awards has just come out, and it’s sure to make you feel guilty about not reading enough books from Aotearoa last year (or is that just me?). Books editor Claire Mabey and poet Louise Wallace sift through the selected titles and predict which books will be shortlisted and which will win. Whether you want to scroll through the many beautiful covers, need to decide what poetry collection you’re going to tackle next, or want some fodder for debating if creative non-fiction should be a separate category at your next dinner party, this comprehensive listicle has you covered.