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The Treaty of Waitangi and the Media - where are we? Human Rights, The Treaty of Waitangi and the Media, 8 June 2005. Dr Judy McGregor EEO Commissioner. Three questions. What does the M ā ori word ‘ariki’ mean? How many M ā ori live in New Zealand?
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The Treaty of Waitangi and the Media - where are we?Human Rights, The Treaty of Waitangi and the Media, 8 June 2005 Dr Judy McGregor EEO Commissioner
Three questions • What does the Māori word ‘ariki’ mean? • How many Māori live in New Zealand? • Name the front row of the Māori All Blacks? Pass your answers to the person next to you.
What’s the relationship? • Nexus between the Treaty and the media has traditionally been around the protection of Māori language and culture • Māori have argued that broadcasting is crucial to language survival
Challenge • Through the 1980s a series of Māori challenges to the Crown through the courts • Handover of assets to Radio New Zealand and TVNZ when they became state owned enterprises • Māori wanted Crown to meet Treaty obligations(legal loss,moral victory)
Māori power resulted in: Crown resource for broadcasting: • “Mainstreaming” • 23 iwi radio stations • Māori television
Response of print media? Wide variety of prominent Māori have consistently criticised the mainstream media (mainly print but commercial radio and tv).
Here’s a sample of what they’ve said: • Ranginui Walker- “Fourth Estate has played a consistent role in the way it selects, constructs and publishes news about Māori. • “Pakeha perceptions of Māori will not change unless radical change in mainstream media culture”.
Māori media critics Former Race Relations Conciliator Hiwi Tauroa…” the news media have not been either inclined or able to accurately and sensitively express the positive activities of Māoridom…”
Māori media critics • Derek Fox- “lack of a perspective in the news in general, and an absence of understanding of Māori issues and tikanga Māori, and an inability to portray Māori people accurately….” • “not a single Māori perspective anymore”…..
Omission • Māori economic development is the worst-covered business news story in New Zealand • Hui Taumata-$3 million in Budget, 20 year event and a taskforce set up. • What was the print media coverage?
Omission…. An audit by Chong Bureau from May 15 onwards shows three solitary print media mentions: • Page 8 in the Press by Mike Houlahan • A couple of lines in the Dominion Post • A cover story in Management magazine
Trivialisation • Taniwha, moko stories, and “s” on Māori
Blame Financial accountability-waananga, Holocaust comments, special privileges and targeted programmes, Tuku’s underpants
Why does it happen? • Polarity between Māori values and news values • Stereotypes • Lack of knowledge and understanding of tikanga by Pakeha reporters
Why does it happen? • Number of Māori in mainstream newsrooms • Lack of sustained leadership or commitment within mainstream media • Little sense of Māori as audience, clients, listeners, watchers, readers or advertisers
Māori response Impressive Māori media development spearheaded by • Iwi radio • Māori television • Mana news • Mana magazine • Tu mai • Other newspapers
What might the Treaty mean? • Equal opportunities for Māori in mainstream newsrooms • Māori media autonomy-both state-funded and private • Fair, accurate and balanced representation of Māori achievement and aspirations as well as “bad” news.
Why? • The Treaty principles of equality and participation • Māori want to see/hear and read about their lives • Pakeha need to be able to understand social and cultural changes • Treaty of Waitangi IS big news