A central news bureau could be dangerous

Radio NZ reports:

TVNZ rejected a last-ditch Newshub proposal to form a shared news agency with workers from both organisations – a decision Warner Bros Discovery has described as “baffling”.

Warner Bros Discovery met with TVNZ chairman Alistair Carruthers and chief executive Jodi O’Donnell, along with RNZ chief executive Paul Thompson, on 21 February to discuss the proposal.

But TVNZ rejected the idea just two days later.

Having the three leading broadcasters share a single news bureau would arguably be more efficient, but it would also be dangerous. That bureau would be very powerful.

NZPA worked well for many decades, and it is a shame it has gone. But it supplemented news bureaus, not replaced them. It was also strictly non-sensational. Their job was reporting.