She’s objectively one of the most successful actors this country has produced, in terms of the scale of her roles, yet Michelle Ang is not in it for the fame (she’s currently employed as the Spinoff’s finance person). What she is about is the brilliant tension between the creative and the disciplined, manifest in her wildly varied career, which spans Neighbours, Fear the Walking Dead, McDonald’s Young Entertainers as well four different more intimate productions released this year alone. Most notably Hair Now, an outstanding docu-series dropping weekly on The Spinoff.<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>We say it a lot, but this<em> really</em> is a must-listen for anyone hoping to reach the new wave of risk takers and decision makers. Gen Z is making and consuming media in ways and at a pace that can be difficult for older generations to understand. They've never known a world without digital connection at its core and we're on the precipice of massive societal change as a result. New York-based Rex Woodbury writes a tech-meets-culture Substack called <a href="https://digitalnative.substack.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Digital Native</a>, and Duncan is obsessed. Also obsessed is Duncan's friend, and real life Gen Z legend, Lucy Blakiston (<a href="https://shityoushouldcareabout.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shit You Should Care About</a>). This week the pair team up to interview Rex about why we're in the early stages of multiple major shifts and what it all means for media and society as a whole from this very moment on.</p><br><p><br></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

After two decades working as an exec at Sky, John Tapu resigned to start Kava Bowl Media. He's already made a rugby league show which has sold into Australia and the islands, with a special eye for talent and distinctive humour. He joins Duncan Greive on The Fold to explain how he did it.&nbsp;<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Freshly-minted media minister Willie Jackson joins Duncan Greive to explain the government’s plans for its merged media platforms – and what that means for NZ on Air. He talks about the Public Interest Journalism Fund and why he believes settlements with Google and Facebook are the right approach to replacing it. In addition, he reminisces on his trailblazing time in the music industry, and reflects on his one big regret.<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

After being let go from her radio job in 2020, Brodie Kane made the brave decision to build her own podcast company just as the pandemic hit. Now Brodie Kane Media has a smash hit on her hands in The Girls Uninterrupted, and a growing stable of related podcasts that marks her as a media entrepreneur to watch. She joins Duncan Greive to talk about her new business, her career in broadcasting and her inspirational run on Dancing With the Stars.<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Alex Braae was the founding editor of The Bulletin before joining TVNZ's flagship politics show Q+A as executive producer. He and its host Jack Tame have embarked on a thoughtful reimagining of the show and its role this year, largely doing away with panels and heading out into the field more. They join Duncan Greive on The Fold to discuss the role of political current affairs shows, and how to capture younger audiences in the Tiktok era.</p><p><br></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

She started a Twitter account for the Auckland Theatre Company, and within a few years was running social for one of New Zealand’s biggest banks; thus becoming one of the first wave of social media experts in Aotearoa. Now she’s largely abandoned the platforms in taking a new role as the author of the Bulletin – and now head of newsletters for The Spinoff. Anna Rawhiti-Connell explains her fascinating professional journey to Duncan Greive.<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

The relationship between media and museums is stronger than you might expect. Courtney Johnston is the youngest Tumu Whakarae / chief executive in Te Papa’s history. She oversees a staff of 600 and an institution with an unresolvable complex mission: one national museum to serve all our peoples. Yet Johnston gets a massive kick out of her big, unruly and fascinating job, and agrees with the thesis that museums were the original media.<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Peter Newport founded Crux to address the fact that the big west coast towns of Te Waipounamu had no major newspaper serving them. Four years on, Crux has endured the usual startup travails, but also become a key voice in the region’s journalism. He joins The Fold to tell Duncan Greive why and how he did it.<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Known for weird and highly original TV shows, Leigh Hart is also a wildly innovative business person. In a rare earnest and out-of-character interview, he explains how he has built the singular Moon TV universe, and the way beer and chips have naturally grown out of his approach to funding his escapades.<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Sometimes I just get to indulge in pure fandom on this show, and this is one of those times. Henry Cooke has been in the press gallery for just five years, but had a lightning fast rise to the role of chief political reporter. He writes brilliantly about all aspects of our politics with verve and a sense of the institution that belies his years (he’s 29). As he leaves on his OE, I got to ask him about one of the most fascinating jobs in journalism.<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

It’s 30 years since Shortland Street debuted on our screens, and in that time Aotearoa has transformed. The daily soap opera is a maligned format, but the way Shortland Street does it, it really shouldn’t be. Where many soaps are fundamentally conservative, Shortland Street has been consistently and impressively progressive. The show’s producer, and one-time star, Oliver Driver, comes on The Fold to explain how they get it done.<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Able is the home of the captioning and audio description services which make television accessible to hearing and vision impaired New Zealanders – and it’s about to lose the only leader it's ever had. Outgoing chief executive Wendy Youens tells The Fold about her haerenga, the importance of Able’s work – and why the same services barely exist on New Zealand’s streaming services.</p><p>Read the full transcript: <a href="https://able.co.nz/news/the-fold-duncan-grieve-wendy-youens/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://able.co.nz/news/the-fold-duncan-grieve-wendy-youens/</a></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

She has produced television for decades, from every conceivable angle. Now, Irene Gardiner has taken on the presidency of producers’ guild, Spada, at the most fascinating and complex time in the sector’s history.<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

A second conversation with press gallery wonk, Bernard Hickey, about his newsletter / podcast product, The Kākā. It’s just 18 months old and only six months into its paywall, but already has become financially sustainable. Now he’s landed on a quixotic plan to grow it – make it free, to hundreds of thousands more people.<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Duncan Greive tackles two huge media stories of the past week. This week: Netflix’s big miss and Elon Musk taking Twitter private.

<p>From a piqued interest in high school leading him hustling into radio work, Nathan Rarere's journey in broadcasting began doing the overnight shift. Most recently finding himself as the host of First Up on RNZ, over his history as a broadcaster, Nathan has been a part of many cultural pinpoints across the spectrum. Nathan joins the pod to chat his extensive path to First Up, how an early gig became a TV pinnacle of alt youth culture, and how to make good media.</p><p><br></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

At the height of a global pandemic (thus in an amplified and tense state), being new to the media world is no easy task. However, taking it in his stride and coming from a large breadth of diversified roles, his decades of experience elsewhere have lead Don Mann to his current position as CEO of the Pacific Media Network. Although each pinpoint in his working career are seemingly different, Don sees and implements their core similarity as a driving force: serving community. Today, he joins The Fold to speak on representation in the media of Aotearoa, diversity development, and the complexities of his role in its relationships to both the media, and community.<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

She started her career in journalism in her hometown of Ōtautahi, three months before the quakes. Four years later she left and effectively restarted from scratch in Canada, only to do that all over again a few years later in New York. This combination of doggedness, ambition and a willingness to humble herself in pursuit of true greatness has now landed Olivia Carville at Businessweek, the flagship of global business media giant Bloomberg. She tells her incredible story to Duncan Greive, and gives a masterclass in how to get to the top of longform journalism along the way.<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

10 years ago, Viva La Dirt League started doing musical parodies of gaming logic. Now, three friends have built out a truly unique YouTube channel with over 3m subscribers and revenue which would dwarf all but a handful of NZ media companies. They join the Fold to explain how they did it.<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Crypto, NFTs and web3 have an impressive ability to prompt one of four core reactions: fury, greed, idealism or "????" Glorious is a web3 company from Aotearoa which has started in fine art and with a focus on how to improve outcomes for artists. Co-founder and CEO Tim Harper has a specific and differentiated view of how the space will evolve – and how it will create its own lane.<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

After two decades overseas in major roles at the Financial Times and Washington Post, Anna Fifield returned home in 2020 to edit the Dominion Post. One of the biggest challenges she's faced in the new job has been deliberately obstructive communication work from the public service – and so she's made it her mission to try and change that culture.<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

It started as just this side of a joke, in a caravan, calling what was one of the worst ever Black Caps sides. Just eight years later the Black Caps are world test champions and the Alternative Commentary Collective has become one of the most interesting and powerful innovations in New Zealand’s media. Co-founder Mike Lane explains how it happened, and what’s next.<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>A research fellow with Te Pūnaha Matatini, Sanjana Hattotuwa has been studying information disorder for two decades. He’s spent the last month watching the occupation at parliament spread and outrate the mainstream media in venues like Facebook Live and Telegram, and explains why Aotearoa has to view this as a sign of things to come.</p><br><p><br></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>One year on from taking on a Substack Pro deal, Emily Writes finds herself able to live as a full-time writer for the first time. She joins Duncan Greive to explain how it happened, what it’s done for her life and why writers need to get more comfortable straight up asking for money.</p><p>Subscribe to Emily's newsletter at <a href="https://emilywrites.substack.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">emilywrites.substack.com</a></p><p><br></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>