If you have ever thought you could do Peata Melbourne's job on Te Ao Mārama, then Whakaata Māori wants you.
The Te Rito training programme will provide the country’s first comprehensive Māori and diverse voices journalism cadetship scheme to train and hire 25 new journalists.
Te Rito is a collaboration between Māori Television, Newshub, NZME and Pacific Media Network, plus 11 other supporting media organisations.
Māori cadets, especially those who speak Māori, are the priority. Pasifika and those from other ethnic communities are also being sought.
"This is just the first step in training those who love and are passionate about learning the skills needed to be a journalist, who follows kaupapa Māori stories."
NZ on Air announced funding of $3.5 million to train Māori journalists. Whakaata Māori chief executive Shane Taurima says the industry has been in decline for a while now.
"We have long known that the cupboards are pretty bare in Māori broadcasting because there is either no one to do the job or there are very few. So this is an answer to that problem."
The Te Rito training programme will provide the country’s first comprehensive Māori and diverse voices journalism cadetship scheme to train and hire 25 new journalists.
"So I am emploring all those who are watching, if you have an understanding of Te Reo, if you would love to learn about being a reporter on television, then welcome."
Anyone interested in applying for the programme please email terito2022@gmail.com.
Funding details: Māori journalism outcomes
- Te Awa, Awa FM for Awa FM, up to $498,370. News made from the perspective of Whanganui Māori in Whanganui dialect reo and English.
- Haukāinga, TeReo Irirangi OTeHiku OTeIka for Tehiku.nz, up to $460,000. A regional journalism initiative providing news, current affairs and live broadcasts to Māori audiences in Northland and to wider Iwi Radio.
- Rotorua Weekender -TeWāhanga Reo Rua, NZME for Rotorua Weekender, up to $440,000. A weekly bilingual Te Reo Māori and English section in the Rotorua Weekender newspaper to shine a light on local Rotorua iwi issues and people.
- Paakiwaha, UMA Broadcasting for Waateanews.com, up to $433,000. A bilingual news and current affairs show that will be expanded to provide a breakfast current affairs programme available on iwi radio stations.
- Party People, Aotearoa Media Collective for RNZ, TūrangaFM, RadioWaatea, up to $236,930. An audio and video series bringing scrutiny and review to politics, whilst preserving an upbeat and conversational approach to political analysis.
- Nē?, Hex Work for The SpinOff, up to $217,325. Nē? is a podcast and written series that will explore hot issues within te ao Māori through an informed and dynamic Māori lens.
- The Hui: Summer Edition, Great Southern Television for Newshub.co.nz, The Hui online platforms, up to $178,729. A summer edition of the Māori current affairs programme produced by up-and-coming Māori journalists to be broadcast during The Hui's summer hiatus.
- Te Ao Mārama, Salient Magazine for Salient Magazine, up to $7,291. A special edition of Salient produced by Māori students who will be mentored and supported at Victoria University of Wellington.
- Te Rito Journalism Project, NZME, Māori Television, Newshub and Pacific Media Network with 11 support partners, up to $2,419,253 (Funding spans two financial years - $800k in Year 1). A programme to identify, train, develop and hire 25 Māori, Pasifika and diverse cadet journalists.
- Pīpī Paopao, Aotearoa Media Collective, up to $361,815. A training initiative providing regional workshops for more than 100 iwi radio staff, to strengthen Māori public interest journalism in Māori communities
