April 15, 2024
Te reo focus transcends job struggles
The executive director of Māori screen guild Ngā Aho Whakaari says even as the platforms crumble around them, Māori need to be steadfast about how they can take their kaupapa forward.
Lanita Ririnui says last week’s kura reo at Whakaata Māori, sponsored by the Māori language body Te Mātāwai. was overshadowed by the massive job cuts confirmed at TVNZ and Newshub.
But she says members understand there will be change, but they are also focused on improving the use of te reo and tikanga on air.
“We have to continue to provide spaces where we stick to the kaupapa ‘me hangai tonu ana matou’. Where we come together just to remember what we’re here for – and wānanga on what it is that we can find the light with, to provide different solutions in this challenging time,” Ms Ririnui says.
Ngā Aho Whakaari is disappointed bosses at TVNZ and Warner Brothers-Discovery seem to have brushed aside suggestions from their staff about other things they could have done to avoid the high level of job loss.