In the age of Trump, fake news and celebrity headlines, it is easy to despair about the future of journalism. The New Zealand and global media are in a state of upheaval – the old economic models for print journalism are no longer viable, public funding has been neglected for decades, and the numbers of journalists employed by major news organisations are often in sharp decline.

New Zealander Mel Bunce is a young lecturer at the acclaimed Department of Journalism at City, University of London. In what she describes as both a critique and a love letter, Bunce discusses the state of journalism in New Zealand and the solutions needed to ensure its future. Her fresh analysis draws on the latest international research and addresses issues such as media literacy, trust and misinformation.

BWB Texts are short books on big subjects by great New Zealand writers. Commissioned as short digital-first works, BWB Texts unlock diverse stories, insights and analysis from the best of our past, present and future New Zealand writing.