Maori Media Breakfast Seminar a Success

On the morning of September 24 the central PRINZ committee launched the first of three spring breakfast seminars. Te Puni Kokiri on Lambton Quay provided the venue and there were approximately 60-70 people keen to ‘Understand the Power of Maori Media.’

The panel consisted of four well known representatives from Maori media and/or communications: Derek Fox, Rereata Makhia, Wena Tait and Ana Tapiata. Each speaker provided insights into the world of Maori media and the resounding message that echoed in each of their addresses was that to understand Maori media, you must understand Maori culture.

Derek Fox was part of the effort to establish the Maori and Pacific Island Broadcasting Unit of Radio New Zealand, which went on to become Radio Aotearoa. He started Te Karere, the first Maori TV new programme and in 1992 helped set up Mana magazine. When Maori Television was established, he became the channel's first chair, as well as Chief Executive Officer during the development period. Derek provided a brief history of Maori media, emphasising what little government support this industry has received since day one. He drew on Mana magazine as an example, explaining that it receives no major funding and relies purely on advertising and sales to keep running.

Rereata Makhia began his career with the first Te Karere reporting team in the early 1990s and is currently the Wellington Bureau News chief for Maori Television. He has produced and presented radio news for Mana Media, developed protocols with the Australian Special Broadcasting Service to provide Maori news services to Australia and was a founding member of the Maori Journalists Association. Rereata said that with 26 Maori radio stations nationwide, the struggle for a Maori presence in the media is a battle that has been won, with previous attitudes now "ghosts of the past." His concern was with the new and rising role of ‘the comms person’ and that their role as gatekeepers of information would prohibit, even further, Maori from accessing reliable sources of information about issues that concern them.

Wena Tait worked as a TV reporter for Te Karere and as a radio reporter and producer of programmes for Mana Maori Media. She was the press secretary for previous Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia and was producer/director for the only live Maori language interpreting radio service called Hakarongo Mai. Wena was also senior editor of the Maori Language Educational Resources at Learning Media Ltd and is currently the Manager of Te Upoko o Te Ika Radio, the pioneer Maori radio station. Drawing from her range of experiences, Wena provided insights into the world of Maori media, emphasizing the importance of the ‘stay and have a cup of tea’ attitude that is so different from the ‘time is money’ approach of the mainstream media. She also advised that building a relationship with Maori media was easy, beneficial and necessary.

Ana Tapiata is a veteran broadcaster who currently has a weekday Radio New Zealand programme, Rourou, which looks at a variety of topics in Te Reo. She also works as a communications advisor with Te Kupenga Whakaoti Mahi Patunga, The National Network of Stopping Violence, and also works as a communications consultant. Ana was also a press secretary in parliament for Parekura Horomia, has been a powerful force with Kawea te Rongo, the Maori Journalists Association, is a member of the Journalist Training Organisation and Chairperson of Wellington's kura kaupapa Nga Mokopuna. Ana said, "to understand Maori media, you have to understand yourselves and your own understanding of Maori." Ana’s interactive address reiterated the importance of Te Reo in Maori media, how core cultural values, such as dedication to future generations, make Maori media different from mainstream media. She also emphasised key messages for communications people such as ‘know your audience’ and ‘keep it simple.’

The morning concluded with croissants, fruit salad and lots of positive feedback. Many thanks to PRINZ committee member Peter Coleman, Chief Strategic Communications advisor for Defence Communications and primary organiser of the breakfast seminars.

Romilly Cumming, Student Representative on the Central PRINZ Committee