The pervasive power of man-made news

Since the first woman was appointed as editor of a major newspaper in New Zealand in the mid 1980s, what has been the progress of women to top editorships? And what is the status of women at governance, management and staff journalist levels? These questions examine gender equality issues and are important given the power and ubiquity of the news media in modern society. The article analyses participation of women in the news media against the so-called ‘feminisation’ of pre-entry journalism training. The findings show that little progress has been made at editorship level, while there is more progress for senior women just below editorship level. Further, there is a difference in the status of women in governance of public service versus privately-owned broadcasting. The article is critical of the data available to monitor participation by gender and ethnicity in New Zealand journalism over time. Strategies to help break down the pervasive power of ‘man-made news’ are proposed. These include female shareholder activism at the governance level of media companies, and a greater commitment by the New Zealand Journalism Training Organisation to regular monitoring of women’s newsroom participation. Without it the status of women in New Zealand journalism remains invisible

Women’s local government representation in Auckland – does size matter?

The article examines women’s local government representation following amalgamation to form a super-sized city authority, Auckland, which covers a third of New Zealand’s population. Using a gender perspective, it analyses the promise implicit in amalgamation rhetoric that democratic gaps in representation, including the gender gap, would diminish. It examines the question of whether size has made a difference. Prior to local government amalgamation, women’s representation had not significantly increased over a period of seven election cycles. Women’s descriptive and substantive representation are examined at national and city levels and the gendered implications of local government reform are considered from the perspectives of female elected representatives at councillor and local board levels. Evidence shows that local government reform has yet to be the catalyst for improving women’s descriptive and substantive representation, although there are tentative signs of entry-level improvement at community board level which raise the prospect of a pipeline effect. Interviews with elected female representatives after amalgamation show that while they do not identify themselves as speaking for women, they see themselves as women speaking for their communities and doing it better than men. The results suggest the influence of gender backlash politics and also confirm the need to think about the performance of elected women as more than ‘articulated’ representation

Triple Jeopardy: Age, Work and the Invisibility of Mature Job-Seekers in New Zealand

Youth has for so long dominated our thinking about employment that political and policy responses and societal debate about the value of older workers has been stifled. Yet the urgency of population ageing in New Zealand at a time of projected labour shortages means older workers must urgently become a policy priority. Latest projections indicate that the population aged 65 years and over is expected to grow by about 100,000 during the current decade to reach 552,000 by 2011 . And by 2051 there are projected to be at least 60 percent more elderly than children (Statistics New Zealand, 2000). The threat of future labour shortages has been raised by numerous authors (Callister and Rose, 2001; Stephenson and Scobie, 2002; and the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, 2002) with the older worker viewed implicitly as part of the problem. The paper reports on the largest contemporary study of mature job-seekers undertaken recently in New Zealand. It explores the job search efforts and behaviour of mature job seekers and the implications for policy intervention. The study also poignantly reveals the hidden personal and community costs of discrimination and unemployment amongst older people. The implications of framing employment as a youth concern only and the significance of disadvantaged older workers and job seekers is discussed. Finally the paper addresses the question of "what responsibility does society have towards skilled and unskilled older workers?

Learning And Leadership In The New Zealand Biotechnology Industry: Innovation And Human Capital In The New Economy

Human capital for the knowledge economy has curiously been a Cinderella topic for applied business research. This paper reports on a survey of New Zealand small and medium enterprises and is part of a wider Government-funded new economy sector analysis. The study, which utilised both a quantitative survey and qualitative theory development, examines the motivation for innovation, perceived skill shortages and managerial priorities for future development. This paper utilises the biotechnology industry to explore the competencies required for increased profitability and growth. It examines the paradox that while the new economy is people reliant and the multi-disciplinary nature of modern management includes knowledge management as a principal managerial competency, these aspects have received too little research attention. It was prompted by industry and academic acknowledgment that the primary inhibitors to progress are not technological but managerial. The findings point towards a new model of technological learning

Triple Jeopardy: Age, Work and the Invisibility of Mature Job-Seekers in New Zealand

Youth has for so long dominated our thinking about employment that political and policy responses and societal debate about the value of older workers has been stifled. Yet the urgency of population ageing in New Zealand at a time of projected labour shortages means older workers must urgently become a policy priority. Latest projections indicate that the population aged 65 years and over is expected to grow by about 100,000 during the current decade to reach 552,000 by 2011 . And by 2051 there are projected to be at least 60 percent more elderly than children (Statistics New Zealand, 2000). The threat of future labour shortages has been raised by numerous authors (Callister and Rose, 2001; Stephenson and Scobie, 2002; and the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, 2002) with the older worker viewed implicitly as part of the problem. The paper reports on the largest contemporary study of mature job-seekers undertaken recently in New Zealand. It explores the job search efforts and behaviour of mature job seekers and the implications for policy intervention. The study also poignantly reveals the hidden personal and community costs of discrimination and unemployment amongst older people. The implications of framing employment as a youth concern only and the significance of disadvantaged older workers and job seekers is discussed. Finally the paper addresses the question of "what responsibility does society have towards skilled and unskilled older workers?

The impact of economic and social human rights in New Zealand case law

Although New Zealand has traditionally relied on 'progressive realisation' of economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR) through public policy decision-making, recently there has been a small number of cases relying on international human rights treatises, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), to support the legal argument. This article reviews the implementation of the ICESCR in New Zealand through an analysis of this case law. The article argues that although there has been an increase in the number of cases relying on ESCR, the courts have been reluctant to grant a remedy without ESCR being explicitly incorporated into the domestic law. The article further argues that the attempt to provide a remedy for ESCR through the declaration of inconsistency under the Human Rights Amendment Act 2001 has highlighted the need for the inclusion of ESCR into the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990

Protocol for a randomised controlled trial of treatment of asymptomatic candidiasis for the prevention of preterm birth [ACTRN12610000607077]

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Prevention of preterm birth remains one of the most important challenges in maternity care. We propose a randomised trial with: a simple <it>Candida </it>testing protocol that can be easily incorporated into usual antenatal care; a simple, well accepted, treatment intervention; and assessment of outcomes from validated, routinely-collected, computerised databases.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>Using a prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded-endpoint (PROBE) study design, we aim to evaluate whether treating women with asymptomatic vaginal candidiasis early in pregnancy is effective in preventing spontaneous preterm birth. Pregnant women presenting for antenatal care <20 weeks gestation with singleton pregnancies are eligible for inclusion. The intervention is a 6-day course of clotrimazole vaginal pessaries (100 mg) and the primary outcome is spontaneous preterm birth <37 weeks gestation.</p> <p>The study protocol draws on the usual antenatal care schedule, has been pilot-tested and the intervention involves only a minor modification of current practice. Women who agree to participate will self-collect a vaginal swab and those who are culture positive for Candida will be randomised (central, telephone) to open-label treatment or usual care (screening result is not revealed, no treatment, routine antenatal care). Outcomes will be obtained from population databases.</p> <p>A sample size of 3,208 women with <it>Candida </it>colonisation (1,604 per arm) is required to detect a 40% reduction in the spontaneous preterm birth rate among women with asymptomatic candidiasis from 5.0% in the control group to 3.0% in women treated with clotrimazole (significance 0.05, power 0.8). Analyses will be by intention to treat.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>For our hypothesis, a placebo-controlled trial had major disadvantages: a placebo arm would not represent current clinical practice; knowledge of vaginal colonisation with <it>Candida </it>may change participants' behaviour; and a placebo with an alcohol preservative may have an independent affect on vaginal flora. These disadvantages can be overcome by the PROBE study design.</p> <p>This trial will provide definitive evidence on whether screening for and treating asymptomatic candidiasis in pregnancy significantly reduces the rate of spontaneous preterm birth. If it can be demonstrated that treating asymptomatic candidiasis reduces preterm births this will change current practice and would directly impact the management of every pregnant woman.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry <a href="http://www.anzctr.org.au/ACTRN12610000607077.aspx">ACTRN12610000607077</a></p

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission

Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least $4m$. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the $6.5m$ James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000 team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit.Comment: Accepted by PASP for the special issue on The James Webb Space Telescope Overview, 29 pages, 4 figure