An interview with Heta Gardiner: A lonely Māori voice at the Covid-19 briefings

Summer reissue: You might not know his face, but Māori Television’s Heta Gardiner was one of the most valuable and memorable contributors to the daily Covid-19 briefings. Hayden Donnell spoke to him about what it was like covering a pandemic in a still Pākehā-dominated press gallery. First published 16 May, 2020. Independent journalism depends on … Read more

Inside the Stuff apology to Māori

Stuff’s Pou Tiaki editor Carmen Parahi rallied her troops for what would become the ‘Our Truth, Tā Mātou Pono’ project on a Saturday, and pitched the idea to Stuff’s CEO the very next day. She tells Leonie Hayden about what happened next. On Monday the media-consuming public awoke to a surprise from Stuff, whose comments … Read more

A hard day to be wahine Māori

Leonie Hayden gets in her feelings about a shitty day for Māori women. There are days in my job where I feel nothing but hopeful. Like when I think about the work being done by Nuku100, telling the stories of 100 indigenous women. Or I get to wānanga with Donna Kerridge and Ayla Hoeta, or … Read more

A time of reckoning: Racism and representation in media

Mainstream news has a history of not always being the safest or most representative space for Black and indigenous people and other people of colour (BIPOC). Many have created their own spaces to address the imbalance, but some Māori media professionals say it’s time for everyone to get on the bi-cultural waka.  Among the things … Read more

Māori Television needs to go – here’s what should replace it

The CEO of Pango Productions and creator of some of Māori Television’s biggest hits, Bailey Mackey, lays out his vision for the future of Māori media – and there’s no place for Māori Television in it. I love Māori Television. I always have and always will. I started working there one week before it launched … Read more

The Hui and Marae are safe, says Māori development minister

As the Minister for Māori development faces the music for a poorly-received Māori media sector review, new and contradictory details are emerging. A government review of the Māori media sector released last week that recommended Māori news be centralised into a single service at Māori Television was received poorly by many in the sector. It … Read more

Mihi Forbes: This will silence Māori media voices

The proposal to ‘rationalise’ Māori media into a single news service is regressive and will further marginalise the Māori voice, writes journalist Mihingarangi Forbes. Those of us who live and work in te ao Māori have clocked up more than a few hours on wooden bench seats on windswept marae, pulling our coats close and … Read more

‘It would set fire to all the progress’: Alarm at Māori media overhaul plan

Following a lengthy review, a government review of the Māori media sector has recommended news be centralised at Māori Television. Many in the sector are deeply troubled by the idea, writes Duncan Greive.  A proposal to amalgamate all the diverse Māori news media into a single entity has drawn a furious reaction, with several industry … Read more

An interview with Heta Gardiner: A lonely Māori voice at the Covid-19 briefings

You might not know his face, but Māori Television’s Heta Gardiner has been one of the most valuable and memorable contributors to the daily Covid-19 briefings. Hayden Donnell spoke to him about what it’s been like covering a pandemic in a still Pākehā-dominated press gallery. The near-daily media briefings on Covid-19 often start out combative. … Read more

The Spinoff Book podcast: Leonie Hayden on the state of Māori media

In the latest from our pop-up podcast, The Spinoff Book Out Loud, Leonie Hayden looks at the 2019 Māori media review and asks ‘where’s the love for writers?’ Listen to Madeleine Chapman on life after those chip rankings, here, Alex Braae on Extinction Rebellion, here, Alex Casey on Sensing Murder, here, and Toby Manhire on the … Read more

The decade in the Māori world: from Taika to Tariana

Morgan Godfery tries to make sense of the last decade for Māori in te ao hurihuri, the changing world. Here he looks at the highs, the lows and the TBCs… Taika’s interesting world There are three roads out of Opotiki, the rural town where the Eastern Bay of Plenty becomes the East Coast. You can … Read more

The Bulletin: What fresh horrors await National today?

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: National party knife-fight gets extremely bloody, Naura detainee refugees may be allowed to come to NZ, and a shake-up coming for Māori media. The developments at Parliament yesterday are almost without precedent, as renegade National MP Jami-Lee Ross threw astonishing accusations at his party leader Simon … Read more