News has become ‘ordinary and safe’ – David Farrier on the state of New Zealand media

Journalist David Farrier said audiences responded to formats like TikTok because they were “dangerous and fun”.
photo: supply

Journalist David Farrier has called America home for the past four years — and in that time, his New Zealand media landscape has changed dramatically.

Farrell went through his own transformation after his 2016 documentary The Detective became an international success TicklingHe then moved to the United States and got into trouble in 2020 due to the border closure.

Since then, he has been flying back and forth frequently, usually to visit friends, family and deal with the various legal disputes he is often involved in due to his news coverage.

This year, he’s back to do something a little different: Farrell will host a pop-up market for subscribers of his award-winning newsletter, Webworm, and a special screening of Tickling.

“I think it’s time to look at it again,” he said. “Who doesn’t like to be tickled?”

When filming began on the project a decade ago, Farrier couldn’t have foreseen the successful career it would lead to in America.

Farrier during the filming of Tickled.
photo: supply

The film has just been released on Netflix in the US for new audiences to watch, and his 2022 work Mr. Organ – The series – which follows his crazy encounters with parking enforcement officers – has just been added to Netflix Australia and New Zealand.

“All of a sudden, when the show came out on Netflix, a lot more people were watching. I started hearing more and more people saying they had met this guy and they had been ripped off by him. So, I was reminded of the incredible reach that Netflix has.”

When Farrier returned to New Zealand in 2022 to premiere the documentary, he had to deal with a series of “boring” court cases

The film’s protagonist has filed cases with various agencies (one of which was filed through the Family Court) seeking to stop the release of the film.

Farrier said all “legal issues” surrounding the project are now clear.

But he warned: “A lot of people don’t Google Michael Organ when they meet him. You should Google anyone you meet. If you’re going to date someone, Google them. If you’re going to do business with someone, Google them … because people don’t do that enough.”

New Zealand media has changed dramatically since Farrier last returned, with trust in journalism “falling rapidly”.

TV3, where Farrier started his career, shut down its news program, leaving some of his closest friends jobless.

“It’s inevitable that things change. I’m just so grateful that I worked there. That whole place and community is now completely gone… So, the whole institution is just gone? I think that’s really sad.”

Farrier doesn’t know exactly where this will all lead, but he has some ideas.

“It costs a lot of money to do good journalism because it takes time, so a subscription model is one way, whether it’s a website or a newsletter. But I don’t think it’s the only way.”

Farrier filmed the Dark Tourism series in the United States.
photo: supply

Farrier believes the current state of journalism is largely due to local TV stations becoming “mediocre and safe.” This is in stark contrast to his experience reporting current affairs programs Nightline ——This was the “most interesting performance” he had ever experienced.

“It was so indulgent, so ridiculous,” he said, recalling an interview he had with a man who had sex with a dolphin.

“You’ll edit the story, but it’ll be out there with no one watching. My thought has always been, don’t push it too far or you’ll get in trouble, but push it.

“I think that’s why people are into platforms like TikTok. It’s dangerous but also fun. I think the way news is made now is a little dry. It used to be crazier.”

“But that doesn’t mean the new approach is good. I mean, there’s a lot of misinformation on TikTok that’s just bullshit.”

Farrier’s friends and exes Nightline Presenter Samantha Hayes has seen many iterations of New Zealand news programming, from co-hosting Newshub’s primetime news bulletin with Mike McRoberts to hosting the new 6pm bulletin produced by Stuff.

Farrier praised her for doing a “remarkable job.”

“It was so fun to talk to her because she was saddened by the loss of the place where we grew up, but she was also really excited about this new role.”

Despite the seemingly insurmountable challenges facing the media and the world at large, Farrell doesn’t seem to be wavering in his decision to keep working.

“Netflix and I are still friends… you know, we’re exchanging ideas. We’re discussing all kinds of things,” he said.

“I’d like to do another documentary. It’s too early to tell, but there are some eccentric characters in it that have fallen down rabbit holes, and I’d like to see if there’s a way to start filming some of them.”