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March 10, 2022
Public broadcast shake up could boost Māori voice
Adam Gifford
Posted On March 10, 2022
Download AudioA senior Māori journalist says the creation of a new public media entity should create opportunities for more te reo Māori and Māori journalism.
Broadcasting and Media Minister Kris Faafoi today announced the Government was pushing ahead with the merger of Radio New Zealand and Television New Zealand into the new entity.
It will include a mix of crown and commercial funding, and it will provide quality public media content to all New Zealanders, including groups who are currently under-served or under-represented.
The entity will operate under a charter, and it’s expected to deliver on the Crown’s Te Tiriti obligations and provide Māori stories and perspectives.
Atakohu Middleton, whose PhD thesis was on Māori news delivery, says no decisions have been made about the mainstream services she expects Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson will soon release his long-delayed Māori Media Shift Review.
She says it’s a chance to fix some deep structural problems.
“Looking at how little we’ve got in Māori broadcasting in some areas I would like to think that investment would flow through to Māori viewpoints, Māori journalists, Māori kaupapa, upskilling non-Māori in the Māori world so we can have the best, most balanced, treaty-understanding coverage of issues, in New Zealand, that’s what I would hope” Dr Middleton says.
An establishment board will be appointed next month to oversee the detailed design of the entity and the change process, with the aim of having it operational by July 1 2023.
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