Frank Macskasy

6 days ago | thestandard.org.nz | Bernard Hickey |Frank Macskasy |Nick Rockel |David Slack

I want to share a writer’s journey – of living and writing through the Genocide. Where I live and how I live could not be further from the horror playing out in Gaza and, increasingly, on the West Bank. Yet, because my country provides military, intelligence and diplomatic support to Israel and the US, I feel compelled to answer the call to support Palestine by doing the one thing I know best: writing.  I am one of the blessed of the earth. I’m surrounded by similarly fortunate people.

6 days ago | thestandard.org.nz | Bernard Hickey |Frank Macskasy |Nick Rockel |David Slack

This excerpt is from a discussion at the Festival of Debate in Sheffield, England, the largest annual politics festival in the UK (a non-partisan event “that encourages active citizenship and democratic engagement that anyone can contribute to”). The discussion breaks through our cognitive dissonance about climate collapse and the polycrisis (including in New Zealand), but also offers a way through.

2 weeks ago | thestandard.org.nz | Bernard Hickey |Frank Macskasy |Nick Rockel |David Slack

2 weeks ago | thestandard.org.nz | Frank Macskasy |Nick Rockel |David Slack |Bernard Hickey

Radio New Zealand’s decision to conduct a review of its Israel-Palestine coverage post-7 October 2023 is commendable. It commissioned Colin Feslier, an experienced and respected communications expert to undertake this work. He delivered his report in March 2025. Feslier’s brief was to assess complaints against the various standards, principles and codes, monitoring coverage outside this, and suggesting actions for improvement.  Feslier has a long and close affiliation with Radio New Zealand.

3 weeks ago | thestandard.org.nz | Frank Macskasy |Nick Rockel |David Slack |Bernard Hickey

The Coalition has a warped view of what science is, of its purpose, of its role in and for society, and of what should be funded with public money (clue: not much). It has culled another science fund and so far, it has only been picked up by the superb people at Newsroom. The press release from MBIE announcing that Endeavour Fund 2026 round will not invite applications mentions the ‘operational burden’ as the reason but fails to come clean about the other reason that is ‘saving money’.