22 November 2008
Gosche calls for major shake-up of NZ media content
23 September 2006
By Laura Bond: Te Waha Nui Online
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Photo: Alan Koon
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A major shake-up of New Zealand media content is needed if it is to remain relevant to the changing population make-up, according to Labour MP Mark Gosche.
He says changing demographics are not being reflected by the media.
“Those doing programming at TVNZ need to get out of the Ponsonby cafes and head south or west to see that the world has changed,” says the former Pacific Affairs minister, who spoke at the Pacific Islands Media Association (PIMA) conference held at AUT University this weekend.
He believes television is “driving change more noticeably that print” but the industry as a whole is still not changing nearly as much as it needs to.
By 2021, it is estimated that the Asian population in New Zealand will increase 145 per cent, the Pacific population will increase 59 per cent and the Maori population 29 per cent, according to Statistics New Zealand.
The change brings unique challenges for the media hoping to attract new audiences.
“New Zealand media needs to deliver to more than just its white middle class,” says Gosche.
“New Zealand is not comprised of a small radius between Parnell and Ponsonby.”
Role of the media
A PIMA conference report will address the role of the media in reflecting the views and concerns of Pacific Islanders.
The New Zealand Journalism Training Organisation recently released a national survey of 1216 New Zealand journalists, which showed few Pacific Islanders had taken up journalism as a career.
While Pakeha/European make up the majority, Maori make up just over eight per cent of journalists and the only other groups that represented more than one per cent were Chinese and Australian.
No Pacific groupings registered more than one per cent of total respondents despite making up almost seven percent of the population in the 2001 census.
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Photo: Alan Koon
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Radio 531pi managing director Sefita Hao’uli believes his generation is partly to blame.
“We have failed to deliver leadership to the younger generation,” he says.
“It is a challenge for us. We have never really accepted our shortcomings.”
He believes many young people have unrealistic expectations about the media. He says many don’t realise that you have to work hard.
“They think they will become stars overnight.”
‘Voice for the voiceless’
Luamanuvao Winnie Laban, Associate Minister of Pacific Island Affairs, opened the conference, saying the mainstream needs more Pacific media input when covering Pacific issues.
“The Pacific media have an important role in New Zealand society to inform, question, enlighten and provide a voice for those with no voice,” she says.
“It’s important that what we see and what we hear reflects our diverse nation.”
Niu FM chief executive Sina Moore agrees, saying it is not easy to find Pacific journalists to express a Pacific perspective.
She says the Pacific view on issues is very different from that of the mainstream media.
“We take a very different perspective to it,” she says.
“We need to be thinking about longevity so Pacific people can control their own representation in the media.”
Combating complacency
The producer of popular Pacific youth TV show Pacific Beat St, Stan Wolfgram, says it is not good enough for Pacific people in the media to become content with their position in the market.
“We need to get out of this complacency. We need to expect more than to just participate.”
A report with findings from the conference will be presented to the Minister of Pacific Island Affairs.
Links:
- PIMA
- Pacific Beat, Statistics NZ
- NZ Journalists Training Organisation
- Radio 531pi
- Niu FM
- Pacific Beat St
- Pacific Beat St on Scoop.co.nz
