Whether it’s a tornado in Taranaki or the trials, tribulations and tragedy of fame, the New Zealand media is obsessed with two things – weather and celebrities.

We’re regularly greeted with stories of Mother Nature devastating the four corners of this country.

Then we’re advised about the rise and fall of celebrities and other notables - even if they’re thousands of miles away.

The current cold snap over the country and the death of singer Amy Winehouse, which have both dominated New Zealand’s newspapers and news bulletins, may just be a case in point.

TVNZ’s One News on Monday night devoted half an hour to the snow, sleet and ice. Journalists reported live breathlessly from the snow-lined streets of Christchurch and Dunedin or trudged through paddocks in North Canterbury in search of comments from somewhat bemused farmers.

This was followed up by an item on the death of the troubled UK singer and an interview with the hotel maid alleged to have been attacked by former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

Yet the deficiencies in New Zealand defence force training, uncovered following the death of a Kiwi solider in Afghanistan, were reduced to a matter of mere minutes.

Some may argue New Zealanders are looking for relief from the Pike River tragedy and the Christchurch earthquakes. Others will argue the weather is important to many people, that it affects the lives of thousands of Kiwis every day.

But is devoting half a news bulletin to what’s essentially a meteorological event, and immediately following that up with the death of Amy Winehouse, what we as a reading/listening/viewing public deserve?

Maybe it’s time our media set the agenda for once. Instead of following the barometer of our Met Service or the frailties of fame, give us news that matters.