Te Māngai Pāho chief executive Larry Parr is defending the move to reshape Māori news media, including a major $11 million investment aimed at building a digital-first, tikanga-led ecosystem.
Announced last Friday, Whakaata Māori was allocated up to $1.5 million to establish Te Iho – He Pātaka Kōrero, the National News Hub, with another $1.5 million going to Te Karere and ManiaTai Limited for supplementary roles.
Nearly $5 million was distributed to six regional news providers:
Aukaha (Tainui Live)
Pūkāea (Tumeke FM)
Taioro (Tūranga FM)
Te Kūkupa (Te Hiku Media)
Te Reo o te Uru (Te Korimako o Taranaki)
Tahu News (Tahu FM)
These providers will contribute weekly stories, articles, audio, and live events to the hub.
However, the rollout has raised concerns about urban Māori journalism, with no urban iwi radio station receiving direct funding.
A regional hub was given authority to fund two roles in Tāmaki Makaurau and one in Te Whanganui-ā-Tara, despite not being based in those centres.
Parr says the new model prioritises regional collaboration and te reo Māori, acknowledging it may not suit everyone.
“You know, while we might have thrown out some seeds of ideas, the sector has largely wānanga on this. It’s not necessarily going to suit everybody, but what we’re trying to do is prioritize moving to accelerating the move to, you know, like a digital-first Māori media environment, and at the same time, one that prioritizes te reo Māori and supports the regional perspectives,” says Parr.
He admits the changes will affect some jobs, but promises close monitoring over the next 12 months.
“This is going to be a big shakedown for all of us over the next 12 months. Our role is to make sure that there are equitable transition arrangements put in place, and also that everybody’s clear about what our expectations are, and then we’ll review it in 12 months time. If it’s not working, there will be changes in the spaces that it’s not working,” says Parr.
Parr says the funding decisions reflect Te Māngai Pāho’s broader strategy to prepare for a $16 million fiscal cliff, aiming to get the best value for money in producing reo Māori content.
Waatea News and The Hui received no funding in this round for news and current affairs content.
