22 November 2008
Minister calls for better balance in news mix
22 September 2006
By Merle Foster: Te Waha Nui Online
 |
|
An associate minister has issued a challenge to New Zealand media to present a balanced mix of headlines and news content in Pacific stories.
Associate Minister of Pacific Island Affairs Luamanuvao Winnie Laban said today some media did not present a balanced mix of headlines, news and in-depth coverage of events.
Opening the Pacific Islands Media Association conference at AUT University, Laban said she would like to see the media as the “guilty conscience” of society by telling stories that need to be told – digging out the good, the bad and the ugly.
“Unfortunately some media concentrate on the ‘bad’ and the ‘ugly’ and forget that they have a role to tell the ‘good’ stories too,” she said.
She said Pacific media had a responsibility to go beyond telling the “easy” stories to report “uncomfortable” stories with integrity, professionalism and honesty.
“I would like to see our Pacific media taking up more of the challenge of the ‘tough’ and ‘uncomfortable’ issues of the day.”
Former Minister of Pacific Island Affairs and Labour MP Mark Gosche agreed with Laban, saying his electorate continued to get “bad” and “ugly” reports.
“When they report on a murder, they call victims “these brown gang members”. They report once and then forget about it,” he said.
Gosche said mainstream journalists needed to know more about Pacific cultures when reporting on Pacific stories.
“In 2050, New Zealand will be a lot browner, which is driving decision making – but there needs to be understanding of generation gaps and demographics in the Pacific population" he said.
“We need a Pacific media that realises generational differences and that different ethnicities want different media outlets, which is a challenge. It will be a vastly broken up Pacific Island audience.”
Links:
- PIMA
