Planet FM: the nicest radio station in Auckland

Leonie Hayden went in search of the people behind community access radio station Planet FM, and their newly minted and very silly Twitter account. She discovered a group of people who love their jobs and the communities they help.  Community access radio station Planet FM gives good content. If you had any investment in this … Read more

A history of outrage over the word ‘Pākehā’

Historians and language experts agree that the original meaning of the word Pākehā is most likely to be ‘pale, imaginary beings resembling men’, referring to a sea-dwelling, godlike people in Māori mythology. It has been used to describe Europeans, and then New Zealanders of European descent since before 1815. So why do some people object … Read more

Why learning te reo Māori doesn’t have to be a political act

Graham Cameron proposes reasons for learning a language that have nothing to do with business. Ni hao! It’s Chinese Language Week. There has been some attempt in our local media to wrap their lips around the unfamiliar sounds of Mandarin, a few pieces about the local Chinese community, but mostly pieces about the importance of business … Read more