Shows
RE:Balance with Kamahl SantamariaOriginal sin; ongoing sin24 MAY 2025: Which is more important - the decline of a former president, or the one in office right now? America’s been presented with that dilemma this past week, as yet more revelations were made about the mental and physical state of former president Joe Biden. And it happened in the same week he was diagnosed with stage four cancer.But what about the mental state of the current president Donald Trump - is that not arguably just a little more significant? And what if it was Biden saying the things Trump does? A bit of artific...2025-05-2413 min
RE:Balance with Kamahl SantamariaQatair Force One16 MAY 2025: Air Force One is the official plane of the United States president - a literal White-House-in-the-sky. So what happens when a country wants to give the current president a jumbo jet to use as HIS Air Force One? This week we look at Qatar’s $400m gesture to the United States - why it can’t work, why it perhaps should work, what may well stop it from working, and what Qatar gets out of it.Be sure to check out our YouTube channel as well for the Viditorial on this story.2025-05-1516 min
RE:Balance with Kamahl SantamariaWhen the facts get in the way of a good story...2 MAY 2025: Fairness, balance, and accuracy are the cornerstones of journalism - which is why it’s so extraordinary when a news outlet breaches them, and in such spectacular fashion.This week we look at a decision from the Broadcasting Standards Authority, which shows how ThreeNews blew through those tenets of reporting in a story about an anti-smoking group and its supposed links to the vaping industry.It’s an almost-perfect example of what happens when the narrative overrides the facts, the public gets misled, and the journalists are called out for their tactics.2025-05-0223 min
RE:Balance with Kamahl SantamariaEverything you'd already forgotten in 20254 APRIL 2025: How much of 2025 can you actually remember? Sorry, let's rephrase - how much of 2025 can you actually remember which DOESN'T involve America and/or Donald Trump? We're only three months in but there's been plenty happening all over the world. So in this podcast, we're doing a quarter-year review - and it's a Trump-free zone.AUDIO CLIPS COURTESY: CityNews, CBS News, BBC News, SBS News Australia, Sky NewsFor more, visit thebalance.website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2025-04-0411 min
RE:Balance with Kamahl SantamariaA seriously mixed 'Signal'27 MARCH 2025: What on earth just happened?? Some of the most senior people in the Trump Administration used Signal to communicate sensitive information about a strike against the Houthis in Yemen, AND invited a reporter from The Atlantic into the group chat? In this edition of RE:Balance, Kamahl breaks down the seriousness and the absolute lunacy of the situation, but also raises issues from the chat which are flying under the radar.AUDIO CLIPS COURTESY: Crooked Media, Fox News, C-SPAN, The White House (all via YouTube)For more, visit thebalance.website Hosted...2025-03-2718 min
RE:Balance with Kamahl SantamariaYou get a tariff... you get a tariff... YOU get a tariff!14 MARCH 2023: Donald Trump’s plan is to run the U.S. economy (into the ground) with tariffs. Which is stupid. Or is it? (no, it IS stupid). But his long-term plan doesn’t not make sense either… if that makes sense?Just listen to the podcast and you’ll see where we’re going with this. Because long-term economic plans are extremely important, but tough to make happen.Audio clips courtesy: ABC News, MSNBC, NBC News, India Today, Fox Houston (all via YouTube)For more, visit thebalance.website Hosted on Acas...2025-03-1411 min
RE:Balance with Kamahl Santamaria Zelensky the hero? It's complex.7 MARCH 2025: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is a hero; everyone says so. But is that why he’s a hero - because it’s the prevailing narrative? This week we look at the overlooked geopolitics from before the Russian invasion, where Zelensky was perhaps more puppet than paragon.Audio clips courtesy: MSNBC, AP, The Sun, The London Standard, Sky News Australia (all via YouTube). AI voiceover provided by TTSmaker.comFor more, visit thebalance.website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2025-03-0711 min
RE:Balance with Kamahl SantamariaCan't. Look. Away.21 FEBRUARY 2025: When Donald Trump was inaugurated, we talked about learning from his first term and finding ways to limit our Trump intake. Turns out that’s a LOT harder than expected. In amongst all the talk of authoritarianism and the end of democracy, we attempt to sort the wheat from the chaff; the stuff you can ignore, from the things that could change so much in our world.Audio clips courtesy: NBC News, BBC News, CNN, France 24, The White House, MSNBC, Democracy Docket (all via YouTube)For more, visit thebalance.websi...2025-02-2011 min
RE:Balance with Kamahl SantamariaThe Gulf of Amerexico, plus the BBC 'prisoner' apologyTHIS WEEK: It turns out video pieces can make good audio too, so here are two recent Viditorials from The Balance, exploring current events with a balanced lens.First, it's the Gulf of Mexico/America, and how the White House has turned what is basically a vanity project into a vendetta against the Associated Press. It's extremely worrying that media organisations which don't conform with the 'Dear Leader' are now being banned from certain events.And then, we're revisiting the 'prisoner vs hostage' debate in Israel and Gaza - something which the BBC...2025-02-1512 min
RE:Balance with Kamahl SantamariaTrump's Gaza takeover, and everything he's ignoredTHIS WEEK: An occupation of the Gaza Strip by the United States? Well it’s what the President wants - only he calls it ‘ownership’. Donald Trump’s plan for the U.S. to level and then rebuild Gaza, while forcing Palestinians out into Egypt and Jordan, is as outlandish as it sounds. So we’re taking some time to go through Trump’s announcement in detail… not necessarily to see how it could work, but to remind you of all the things he seemingly hasn’t considered.Audio clips courtesy: The White H...2025-02-0614 min
RE:Balance with Kamahl SantamariaWho's a prisoner and who's a hostage?THIS WEEK: With the ceasefire in Gaza holding, Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners have been released as part of the deal. But what makes the Israelis ‘hostages’, and the Palestinians ‘prisoners’? Plus Donald Trump’s confusion over the two words, in a completely different context.Audio clips courtesy: CBC News, DW, CBS News, The Independent, CNN, Newsmax (via Youtube and Substack)For more, visit thebalance.website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2025-01-3010 min
RE:Balance with Kamahl SantamariaThe TikTok "ban", plus tips for Trump Derangement SyndromeTHIS WEEK: the truth behind the TikTok “ban” and the company (i.e. TikTok!) that was in on the whole thing - this was more an orchestrated stunt than any real ban. Plus the second Trump Administration and what you can do to limit your intake - because do you really believe the media won’t still be covering his every word, no matter how outlandish they might be? Audio clips courtesy: TikTok, ABC News, Crooked Media, MSNBC, Bloomberg, Saturday Night Live, Brut America, and Sky News (via YouTube). For more, vis...2025-01-2315 min
RE:Balance with Kamahl SantamariaRE:bootRE:Balance is back and rebooted!News stories can get big very quickly and take on a life of their own, fuelled by social media and hot takes. So each week, RE:Balance will take those stories and give them context and new perspective - because you don’t have to agree with all sides of a story, but you should understand them.THIS WEEK: Meta’s decision to end fact-checking on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads has caused all sorts of concern about misinformation and fake news. And Mark Zuckerberg’s apparent cosying-up to Dona...2025-01-2309 min
RE:Balance with Kamahl SantamariaTaking action (an end-of-year update)With things winding down for Christmas, Kamahl shares an update on the legal action he's taking against TVNZ at the Employment Relations Authority. The new year is going to be busy (and expensive!) but in this podcast, you'll hear why he's going to such lengths to set the record straight.Included in this podcast is a portion of an interview Kamahl gave to Duncan Garner on his podcast Editor-in-Chief. They discuss mental health and the effect that a story and situation like this has on a number of different people.WARNING: the interview...2023-12-2317 min
Duncan Garner - Editor In ChiefKamahl Santamaria on his mental healthWarning: The following content includes discussions about suicidal thoughts that may cause emotional distress. In this Editor-in-Chief discussion, Kamahl Santamaria discusses the severe impact on his mental health following allegations of inappropriate behavior at TVNZ. Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor.Lifeline – 0800 543 354 (0800 LIFELINE) or free text 4357 (HELP).Youthline – 0800 376 633, free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz or online chat.Samaritans – 0800 726 666Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO).Healthline – 0800 611 116 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi2023-11-2702 min
Duncan Garner - Editor In ChiefAn exclusive interview with controversial journalist Kamahl SantamariaIn his first public interview in 18 months controversial journalist Kamahl Santamaria sits down with the Editor in Chief to tell his side of the story. Santamaria was sensationally removed from TVNZ's 'Breakfast' show last year after only 32 days as host. The press release said it was due to a 'family emergency' but it since transpired that there were allegations of inappropriate behaviour toward female staff members. This wasn't the first time these sorts of allegations had been made against Santamaria. What effect has this had on him and his family, will he ever work in...2023-11-2750 min
RE:Balance with Kamahl SantamariaTwo wrongs don't make a rightThis is an audio version of the latest VIDCAST from The Balance, looking at the Israel-Hamas war. This week, we look at the issues of justification, proportionality, and collective punishment - and how, very simply, two wrongs don't make a right. We also pay tribute to the family of Al Jazeera journalist Wael Dahdouh, whose family members were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza.The video version of this podcast can be found here: https://youtu.be/ywmJG5Y7jgMFor more, visit thebalance.website Hosted...2023-10-2813 min
RE:Balance with Kamahl SantamariaThe terminology of warThis is an audio version of the latest VIDCAST from The Balance, looking at the Israel-Hamas war. In it we explore how terminology - particularly the word 'terrorist' - is being used politically, and the pressure being put on media to describe Hamas as 'terrorists'. For more, visit thebalance.website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2023-10-1218 min
RE:Balance with Kamahl SantamariaThe "Unnamed BBC Presenter"The story of an initially-unnamed BBC presenter - accused of paying a young person thousands of pounds for sexually explicit pictures - took on a life of its own this past week. It was equal parts shocking, unbalanced, engrossing, farcical, and unpleasant. And it raised a lot of questions about privacy, speculation, who knew what and when - and of course who the presenter actually was. This week on RE:Balance, Kamahl picks apart the facts of the story and the way it was reported, and speaks to Associate Professor of Sociology at Swansea University Dr. Ashley A. Frawley...2023-07-1638 min
RE:Balance with Kamahl SantamariaMailbagThe Balance has been online for 10 days, and what a busy 10 days it's been! There's been plenty of feedback - from the supportive to the mildly abusive to the revelatory - and in this mailbag episode Kamahl shares the good and the bad, and answers questions which readers and listeners have had.For more, visit thebalance.website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2023-06-1417 min
RE:Balance with Kamahl Santamaria"My name is Kamahl Santamaria..."On the first full episode of RE:Balance, Kamahl Santamaria reintroduces himself - a year after media reports of alleged 'inappropriate behaviour' ended his career. He talks about those allegations, the effect they had, and how the reporting of them has shaped his new venture, The Balance.For more, visit thebalance.website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2023-06-0318 min
RE:Balance with Kamahl SantamariaComing soon…Coming soon... RE:Balance, hosted by former Al Jazeera and TVNZ presenter Kamahl Santamaria.For more, visit thebalance.website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2023-05-0301 min
EMPTY OUT THA CLIP (E.O.T.C.)ep.53 FA JUNIOR, TVNZ DIVERSITY FAIL, JOHNNY DEPP WINS, NO SMACKING LAW IN GOLD COASTThe WesWes Networks Cam, Eric, and Feleti discuss the latest in happenings around news, sports, and entertainment. The boys have a long weekend celebrating Queen's Birthday and on the podcast, they discuss the fight against Junior Fa and Lucas Browne which resulted in Browne beating Fa by TKO in the first round then the boys discuss the sacking of TV Breakfast Show presenter Kamahl Santamaria and the failed coverup by TVNZ then the boys talk about Johnny Depp winning his court case with his ex-wife Amber Heard then they talk about a case in Gold Coast where a single mother l...2022-06-051h 20
In the LoopAnatomy of a media scandal: Kamahl Santamaria's fall from graceAs the days tick on more is emerging about TVNZ Breakfast presenter Kamahl Santamaria and his abrupt exit from the broadcaster. This week on the In the Loop podcast journalist Katie Harris is joined by guest host Aaron Dahmen, as well as Tom Dillane who has been covering the developing situation at TVNZ. On the show Katie and Tom reveal what insiders have been feeling and explain how the drama has unfolded. Later in the show they discuss Jacinda Ardern's trip to the US, Sweden's strange dinner habit and the Heard v Depp decision. Follow the show o...2022-06-0238 min