AGENDA ITEM 2.10

PUBLIC INTEREST JOURNALISM FUND: PROJECTS (NATIONAL)
FUNDING DECISIONS

RECOMMENDATION
That the Staff Investment Committee approves funding up to:
•  $98,533 to Kowhai Media for Being Teen,

•  $73,152 to Techday Ltd for Cybersecurity in Aotearoa,

•  $174,092 to BusinessDesk for How Good Is Our Public Service?
•  $181,118 to SunPix for Ifoga,

•  $204,970 to Red Sky Film & Television for Inside Child Poverty 10 Years On  OFFICIAL
•  $335,746 to The Spinoff for IRL,

•  $131,139 to SunPix for Maisuka
•  $217,325 to The Spinoff for Nē?
•  $433,000 to UMA Broadcasting for Paakiwaha
ACT
•  $236,930 to Aotearoa Media Collective for Party People  THE
•

•  $806,135 to Newsroom NZ for The Detail,

•  $178,729 to Great Southern Television for The Hui: Summer Edition
•  $4,250 to Lifestyle Publishing for The Living Forest
•  $591,465 to Stuff for The Whole Truth,

and declines funding of:
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•  see Annex A for a list of shortlisted proposals recommended for decline at full proposal stage.

15 shortlisted applications recommended for total funding of $3,709,584.
shortlisted applications recommended for decline seeking total funding of

BACKGROUND
INFORMATION
1.
In January 2021 Cabinet agreed to draw down $55 million over the next three years (2021 - 2023) from the
tagged contingency set aside by Cabinet for broadcasting initiatives. This funding will be administered by NZ
On Air to support the production of public interest journalism including Māori and Iwi journalism that is
relevant to and valued by New Zealanders.
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2.
General Guidelines for the PIJF were published in April 2021. The principles set out in the Cabinet paper have
informed the design of the Public Interest Journalism Fund (PIJF). NZ On Air col aborated with Te Māngai
Pāho on the design and delivery of the fund.
3.
The PIJF is structured to support journalistic capability across three funding pillars: Projects, Roles and
Industry Development.
STAFF INVESTMENT COMMITTEE MEETING | 28 JUNE 2021 |
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ROUND OVERVIEW
4.
This first round of the PIJF sought applications to the Projects and Industry Development pil ars of the fund.
Information for this May/July 2021 funding round outlined the assessment criteria and funding priorities to
applicants.
5.
Applicants were first asked to submit five-page proposals by 13 May 2021, which were individually assessed
by panel ists. A hui was then held on 21 May to shortlist proposals. Shortlisted applicants then submitted full
proposals by 3 June. Fol owing further individual assessment, hui were held on 10 June and 14 June to
decide on the funding recommendations outlined in this paper.
6.
NZ On Air earmarked $9.6m to this first funding round, and received 122 first-stage applications collectively
seeking over $50m.
Round Overview - PIJF: Projects (National)
7.
The assessment panel for PIJF: Projects (National) included:
a.
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b.
c.
THE  ACT
d. Raewyn Rasch (Ngāi Tahu) - NZ On Air Head of Journalism. Former General Manager Māori and
Pacific programmes at TVNZ, executive producer of Seven Sharp, producer of Fair Go and Marae
Investigates, TV and radio journalist
e. Anna Currie - NZ On Air Funding Advisor
8.
Conflicts of Interests are outlined as below. Funding assessors did not have access to the funding application,
and were removed from the funding decisions for these applications.
a.
– two applications
employer has a formal relationship
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with this submitter.
9.
Raewyn Rasch declared a potential COI for Newsroom applications as
who on occasion works for Newsroom. The Head of Funding reviewed this COI and deemed that this was not
a material COI and that Raewyn could provide impartial assessment of these applications.
10. The Projects funding pillar of the PIJF is for tightly defined projects delivered to a deadline, similar to those
funded via the NZ Media Fund Factual stream. To this inaugural May/July 2021 PIJF round, NZ On Air sought
applications across two Project categories: 1) National audiences and 2) Local/Regional audiences.
INFORMATION
11. This SIC paper assesses PIJF: National Project applications.
12. National Projects are those with a national audience focus that target content areas that are currently not
being fulfilled, are substantially unfulfilled or at imminent risk. Applicants were expected to provide a strong
case for how their project addresses ‘at-risk or missing’ public interest journalism.
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13. Other specific assessment criteria for National proposals were the scale and size of a project’s national
audience, as wel  as the extent to which applications had co-investment as part of their finance plan.
14. In determining funding recommendations, alongside the individual merits of each application, the panel also
considered issues of duplication where it was prudent to decline applications at the first stage in order to
address this issue with the sector directly at the PIJF summit held on 9 June.
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15.  Of the 122 first-stage applications received to this PIJF round, 67 were National Projects col ectively seeking
over $22m.
16.  Two applications were declined for assessment because they did not meet NZ On Air’s standard threshold
for assessment. These application are listed in Annex B.
17.  The panel shortlisted   National Projects, and  full proposals were submitted for consideration. Following
assessment of these full proposals, 15 are recommended for funding approval. Individual assessments of the
15 funding recommendations are included below.

GENERAL ASSESSMENT & STAFF OPINION
Being Teen

Kowhai Media

$98,533
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

OFFICIAL

Synopsis
THE  ACT
18.  Being Teen follows a cohort group of 10 teenagers from different backgrounds and circumstances over the
course of a year. In doing so this project takes an inside look at the lives, hopes, dreams, desires and challenges
of New Zealanders entering adulthood. This project is text and photography-based longitudinal journalism for
New Zealand Geographic.
19.  A set of stories totalling around 25,000 words, 40 photographs and range across some 40 to 50 pages of a
special issue of New Zealand Geographic magazine and suite of stories on a special focus content hub on
NZGeo.com (outside of paywall).
General Assessment
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20.  This project will provide an insight into the lives of NZ teenagers at a time when COVID and a range of other
factors are changing the world they are stepping into. This type of longitudinal journalism is rare due to its
cost and timeframe, which is why assessors felt the project fitted the definition of at-risk  public interest
journalism (PIJ).
21.  The 10 teens wil  be chosen to ensure they are demographically representative of their cohort by ethnicity,
geography and income and represent a spread of ages between 13 and 19. The participants will be recruited
through approaches to community organisations, iwi, schools, advocacy, arts and youth groups.
INFORMATION
22.  Parental permission will be required,  and  the  participants  will be fully briefed on the implications that
appearing in the article may have for them. Social media will be strictly monitored when stories are published
on social media and New Zealand Geographic does not allow comments on its website.
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23.  New Zealand Geographic will follow the UNICEF guidelines and the Ara Taiohi code of ethics for working and
reporting on young people. This means a teen may decline questions, skip questions, change their mind about
including particular comments on the record and end their interviews at any time.
24.  An extra level of editorial oversight will be added with an eye to the ramifications of the story for the
participants. External expert consultation may be sought if, for instance, a participant wants to share details
of their mental health, to ensure publication does not adversely affect the teen.
STAFF INVESTMENT COMMITTEE MEETING | 28 JUNE 2021 |
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25.  A journalist and photographer wil  spend about six half-days over the year with the participants capturing a
range of occasions etc. that are a part of that participants’ everyday lives.
26.  New Zealand Geographic will appoint two advisors to sit outside the journalistic process to ensure the needs
of the participants are met.  One advisor is
  a  Māori
photographer with experience advocating for children and a second will be a teen peer advisor.
27.  The project plans to produce a set of stories around 25,000 words and 40 photographs that wil  replace half
of the New Zealand Geographic magazine in a special issue pitched as a record of what young adulthood looks
like in 2021.
28.  It will be reproduced online as a set of stories on NZGeo.com within a special-focus content ‘hub’ which will
satisfy the PIJF requirement for free access to content. NZGeo.com is also provided free to every school in
Aotearoa by the Ministry of Education.
29.  It will be promoted via social media and individual posters featuring the teens and a short summary of their
story wil  be distributed as bil stickers to engage the youth audience.
30.  The budget request is for
with a NZ Geographic platform contribution of
.
OFFICIAL
Staff Opinion
31.  There is very little media given over to giving voice to teenagers and New Zealand Geographic is a publication
with a long track record of this type of project with experienced writers and photographers on the team. The
longitudinal nature of the project provides potential to create insight that could be impactful and is deserving
ACT
of the budgeted cost.
THE
32.  Assessors were unanimous in their support of this project and its intended rangatahi audience. One assessor
noted, “The proposal subject matter is difficult and aimed at one of the key audience subjects which this fund
is designed to target.”
33.  There is a risk around exposing the participants to the public gaze. We believe the applicants are well aware
of those risks and have done a great deal to mitigate them. To not take the risk would mean the stories could
not be told and the opportunity for a generation to have their voices heard and hopeful y be better understood
would be lost. Staff recommends that this project be monitored closely alongside the applicant to ensure the
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stringent procedures to protect the participants are followed as per the proposal and any deviation is raised
immediately with NZ On Air.
34.  The application meets the criteria of the PIJF and will provide culturally and demographically diverse content
that  speaks to an underserved rangatahi  audience.  Funding is recommended,

Cybersecurity in Aotearoa


Techday Ltd

$73,152
INFORMATION
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

RELEASED

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Synopsis
35.  Cybersecurity in Aotearoa is a series of 48 text-based stories and interviews focusing on issues of cybersecurity
in Aotearoa published for Techday’s network of websites (SecurityBrief New Zealand, CFOtech New Zealand, IT
Brief New Zealand, bizEDGE New Zealand, ChannelLife New Zealand, FutureFive New Zealand).
General Assessment
36.  Techday is a kiwi-owned media business providing expert writing around Information Technology (IT) and
provides freely available digital content via six websites and associated e-newsletters targeting specific topics
i.e. Security.
37.  Content will be available freely via Techday’s websites along with social media promotion. Techday has a
formal content sharing and licensing agreement with RNZ.
38.  Techday’s current content is news focused predominantly on international stories. The application proposes
contracting expert journalists to investigate the cybersecurity issues facing New Zealand providing longer form
stories with time for research.
39.  The stories will be broken into three different types. Interviews with key players in government and local
OFFICIAL
cybersecurity experts i.e. the Computer Emergency Response Team, investigative stories looking at historic
and recent cybersecurity breaches and jargon-busting stories and resources to help educate New Zealanders
around the issues.
40.  Depending on the topics, the stories will be syndicated out to three or four of Techday’s websites reaching
ACT
1,200 to 6,000 per story but could also be picked up by other media including RNZ in the first instance.
THE
41.

Staff Opinion
42.  This series of 48 long-form stories provides timely information around an issue of increasing concern globally.
43.  Assessors acknowledged there is a current critical shortage of cyber security journalism. One assessor noted
that it will remain “highly salient with a pressing need for public (and perhaps corporate) education.”
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44.  There was concern the budget was high for a text-based application and NZ On Air.
45.  While the application does not address a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi or te reo Māori, the content does
affect all of Aotearoa and staff could work with the applicant to ensure that effects of cybersecurity on diverse
audiences are covered and collaboration with Māori media is encouraged.
46.  While the proposal talks about long-form stories there’s no definition of what that would mean in practice.
Techday’s current stories sit around 500 words and staff intends to provide a clearer PIJF definition moving
forward of what constitutes long-form (e.g. 1000 words or more). At 1000 words the current budget would be
INFORMATION
considered reasonable. Staff intends to work with the Techday team to meet this long-form scope.
47.  Techday already has strong credibility in this area and the expertise to deep dive into issues mainstream media
do not, providing critical PIJ. Funding is recommended

RELEASED
How Good Is Our Public Service?
BusinessDesk


$174,092
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

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Synopsis
48. How Good Is Our Public Service? is a project encompassing 10 – 30 stories, photos and interactive graphics
that assesses the quality, size, organisation, capabilities, and composition of New Zealand’s public service. This
project will involve multiple stories and interactive graphics for BusinessDesk.
General Assessment
49. The project is to provide a comprehensive series of at least 10 and up to 30 stories that provides in-depth
analysis of the New Zealand public sector including text stories, infographics, data maps and visualisations
developed by an experienced team of journalists over 15 weeks.
50. The series will outline the current state of the public service in terms of size, leadership, composition etc.,
assess the key policy agencies, the regulators and appraise the research and scientific capability, public service
leaders, policy analysts, career progression and operational capability.
51. This series will sit in front of the normal paywall for Business Desk. The mapping and baseline information
produced will be available online as a resource for other organisations including the media to use.
52.
OFFICIAL
53. The series will be launched at a Wellington event with budget assigned for promotion.
Staff Opinion
ACT
54. Staff discussed whether this was something that BusinessDesk would do as a matter of course but they argue
THE
that due to the complexity and in-depth nature of this project it would not be produced without PIJF support.
55. There is no doubt this proposal meets the requirement of the PIJF in terms of holding power to account and
in filling a gap no other media is currently filling. While it could be argued this is the role of the Parliamentary Press
Gallery, that coverage is generally focused on politicians and only covers the public sector matters of the day.
56. The analytical nature of this proposal carries some public perception risk if the coverage is seen as too
aggressive or targeted (e.g. the performance analysis of identifiable CEOs). Staff provided this feedback to
BusinessDesk who assured them that broad context on sector performance vs. targeting individuals was the
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intention of this coverage. Given the good reputation of BusinessDesk, staff believes they understand this risk and
the risk to their own reputation in not providing fair and balanced reporting. Additionally, the public sector has a
responsibility to act on the public’s behalf and the public has a right to know if they are performing well.
57. Assessors agreed the proposal provided important PIJ but there was concern at the lack of clarity around the
amount of content that would be produced (10 – 30 stories) and the size of the budget if only 10 stories was
generated. Further to this, assessors felt that if BusinessDesk delivered only 10 stories then would this suffice for
genuine accountability.?
INFORMATION
58. Staff queried the 10 –  30 stories scale to try and gauge greater detail around likely output and lengths.
BusinessDesk responded with the following information:
“… if we create profiles of every substantial government entity and outline their budget, key responsibilities and
internal success metrics, we’d be looking at 50-200 pieces of content for that alone. However, we may also
discover that this subject is boring, or they are al  the same, in which case there would not be a lot of value added
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and we would not do it. But you’ll appreciate the metric is crude. An investigative feature article shouldn’t be
compared with a 300-word news story based off a media release … Here’s how I see the  investigation
potentially playing out:”
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Min.
Max.
Min.
Max.
pieces  pieces
words
words
Current state of the public service – 2000 words
5
10
10,000  20,0000
Assessment of the key policy agencies – 1500 words
6
10
9000
15,000
Assessment of the regulators – 1500 words
3
8
4500
12,000
Assessment of research and scientific agencies – 1500 words
5
10
7500
15,000
The policy analysts – 1500 words
5
10
7500
15,000
Operational capability – 1500 words
5
10
7500
15,000
The leaders – 1500 words
5
10
7500
15,000
Key entity descriptions – 450 words
50
200
22,500  90,000
Interactive graphic explaining public sector and entity linkages
1
5

Photos
15
100

59.

60.  The innovation around interactive graphics is laudable; however, staff notes it adds

. The rationale is justified in terms of ensuring the stories are palatable and engaging for the general
public, but staff note that this is an aspect of the project that will be monitored closely to gauge its execution
OFFICIAL
and efficacy in regard to viewer engagement. Any future or ongoing investment in a similar scope of work for
BusinessDesk will be considered in light of this project’s performance.
61.  The lack of certainty around the likely amount of content to be provided makes it hard to cost this proposal
accurately

ACT
. However, as BusinessDesk point out – this is a relatively crude measure
THE
that does not consider the potential number of content pieces within each story and the word length scope.
Until this team is able to start researching this project, that scope remains uncertain. There is no doubt the
research required to do this project is high and requires considerable expertise. The outcomes could equal y
be seen as vital to public interest. Funding is recommended.

Ifoga



SunPix


$181,118
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Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work



Synopsis
62.  Ifoga is a video-based series, 4 x 22’ stories investigating the ongoing stories of Pasifika who have suffered
INFORMATION
abuse in state care. The primary platform for this project is TP+, with secondary platform support from E-
Tangata, Māori Television, and Pacific Media Network (NPRT).
General Assessment
63.  So far there has been little to no media coverage of the ‘Royal Commission of Inquiry: Abuse in Care’ as it
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relates to Pacific peoples. The proposal meets a number of important criteria of the PIJF especially in giving
voice to an intensely Pacific story and holding power to account.
64.  Assessors flagged there could be an issue around a possible conflict of interest (COI) of the main journalist
who is also a
and was on the

where
no doubt heard the stories that wil  form the basis of this series. Staff intend
to seek clarification on this prior to contracting.
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65.  The key personnel,
have great experience from their
many years delivering Tagata Pasifika (TP). The TP team has already recorded some interviews but will need
to secure the consent of four victims to ensure the project can go ahead, which would need to be a condition
prior to contracting. They have the cultural understanding required to ensure all programme participants are
treated with respect.
66.  The proposed output of 4 x 22’ would deliver something close to a one-and-a-half-hour documentary for a
budget of
.
Staff Opinion
67.  Staff notes that Terror At Lake Alice a six-part podcast for Stuff investigating the physical, mental and sexual
abuse at Lake Alice Psychiatric Facility received funding of $105,610 in the 2020-10 round. However, the focus
of that project was centred around the Māori boys who were disproportionately affected and therefore issues
of duplication were lessened knowing that the focus of Ifoga is around the impact on Pacific peoples.
68.  This proposal shows good platform collaboration to ensure content is shared widely via E-Tangata, Māori
Television, Pacific Media Network Trust and TP+. There was some discussion around why this important
content could not be delivered within the existing scope of TP,  but it was pointed out that TP’s current
OFFICIAL
magazine style programme does not lend itself to this type of content. It should also be noted that the graphic
and disturbing nature of the stories would not be suitable for family viewing on a Sunday morning.
69.  Assessors were generally supportive of the project and the cultural capability of the applicants. One assessor
was keen to point out “I understand the photo that has been submitted in this proposal and its significance in
ACT
recognising a uniquely Pasifika response ..  The staff are seasoned practitioners with the ability to deliver.”
THE
70.  This is important PIJ that TP are not funded to currently deliver. It speaks to a number of criteria both for PIJF
and NZ On Air including empowering minority voices, holding power to account and uncovering issues of public
interest. Funding is recommended

Inside Child Poverty 10 Years On

Red Sky Film & Television                           $204,970
UNDER
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
INFORMATION
71.  A 1 x 45’ documentary for Three. 10 years on from his landmark documentary which put the words “child
poverty” into the nation’s vocabulary, investigative journalist Bryan Bruce reviews what has or has not been
done to improve the lives of our nation’s most deprived tamariki.
General Assessment
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72.  Inside Child Poverty 10 Years On revisits a documentary that was aired 10 years ago and went on to have a
genuine impact on public policy and public understanding of child poverty. It will be aired in

in prime time on Three
.
73.  While reporting and indeed measurement of child poverty has improved over the past 10 years the proposal
argues that many Government policies put in place have not seen critical analysis especially in the light of
COVID-19 and its ongoing effects.
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74.  Discovery NZ will contribute
licence fee and a promotional campaign. This is lower than the usual
NZ On Air would expect for a high-end quality documentary for linear. Staff notes that the
PIJF does not require the same platform contributions as NZ On Air expects for its baseline funding.
75.  The project will provide for two internships for young journalists seeking entry into investigative journalism.
76.  Assessors were unanimously in favour of funding this project with one emphasising, “I believe this proposal
has the unique advantage of an existing benchmark against which to measure progress (or the lack of it).”
Staff Opinion
77.  Assessors discussed whether this project – given it is the type of TV documentary project that NZ On Air has
funded in the past – should come into the PIJF or into a general Factual funding round. Staff spoke to Discovery
about this, and they emphasised that this kind of project was important to them but that they would prioritise
applications such as
in the general round
and felt this was better suited to the PIJF given the topic.
78.  This is a high-quality proposal from a highly experienced team and is a text book example of public interest
journalism subject matter. Given the large scope of the project and its importance staff believes the budget is
justified.
OFFICIAL
79.  The  project  has  a  Māori  producer  capable  of  ensuring  Te  Tiriti  o  Waitangi  and  te  reo Māori  are  handled
appropriately.
80.  The project has the potential to be as impactful as its predecessor and the topic remains as critical to New
ACT
Zealand as it did 10 years ago. Funding is recommended.  THE

IRL

The Spinoff
  $335,746
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
UNDER
81.  IRL explores the real-world consequences of online life through in-depth investigative features and personal
stories.  8 x 3,000-5,000 word long-form investigative written features, with custom imagery and/or data
visualisation, to be released monthly, and 15  x 1,000 word written features with custom imagery, to be
released fortnightly for The Spinoff.
General Assessment
82.  The series wil  focus on the personal realities of technology and how people behave when technology mediates
the spaces between them covering topics such as online radicalisation, social-media mob justice, online crime,
INFORMATION
online reputations, online business, online addictions etc. Individual stories will be contextualised with experts
in the various topics.
83.  The Spinoff has delved into digital culture before but says the complexity and depth of this project puts it
outside their business-as-usual mahi and could only be delivered with PIJF funding.
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84.  The budget of
would put the cost per story at an average of
but at the higher end of the
application’s estimated scope, a 5,000-word story would come out at
a word, which is not unreasonable
in comparison to similar projects in this round.
85.  The primary platform will be The Spinoff, although they point out they have copy-sharing agreements with
RNZ, BusinessDesk and the NZ Herald. The stories will have a dedicated landing page. Its primary audience
target will be 15-35.
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86.  The production team includes
and
along with the
recruitment of a full-time senior editor, a writer/researcher and a part time project manager. The proposal
outlines that all these positions will be filled “fol owing The Spinoff’s inclusive approach to employment, and
all will be employed specifically for IRL.”
87.  The proposal spoke at length of The Spinoff’s commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, but the proposal has no
concrete commitments apart from the line “we wil  actively seek out people whose lives have been affected by
technology with a particular focus on marginalised groups notably Māori and Pasifika Communities that are
on the wrong side of the  digital divide, while featuring rangatahi who are creative and heavy users of
technology.”
Staff Opinion
88.  Staff noted that additional content outputs (15 “as-told-to" stories providing opportunity to engage with
marginalised communities) are mentioned in the body of the proposal but were not included explicitly in the
deliverables. Staff will confirm this with The Spinoff prior to contracting.
89.  Two of the three assessors were in favour of the proposal despite reservations about its lack of concrete detail
in terms of meeting Te Tiriti commitments. It was proposed by some of the assessors that The Spinoff push to
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hire Māori and Pasifika staff to meet its intended objectives stated in the proposal. Staff will update The Spinoff
on the assessors’ feedback if funding does go ahead.
90.  This  topic is worthy PIJ and the format and platform are  suitable for the demographic.  Funding is
recommended subject to confirmation of content outputs. THE  ACT

Maisuka



SunPix


$131,139
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
UNDER
91.  Maisuka  investigates the rise of Type 2 diabetes in the Moana adolescent population. This is a 1 x 44’
documentary for TP+.
General Assessment
92.  This documentary tackles a serious problem facing the Pacific community and impacting Aotearoa.  The
proposal quotes figures that New Zealand’s health system spends more on the disease than it does on cancer,
and it is predicted to rise from the current $2.1b to $3.5b in social cost within the next two decades.
INFORMATION
93.  As well as raising the alarm, this show will seek to promote Pacific solutions and has

94.  Tagata Pasifika (TP) has the community connections and the cultural understanding to be able to tel  this story
and will use a variety of personal experiences along with expert analysis to bring home the enormity of the
issue.
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95.  The production team has proven experience in
, and
. A Pacific
director is still to be recruited.
96.  The documentary will feature on TP+ with secondary platform  distribution including via Pacific Media
Network, E-Tangata and Māori Television.

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Staff Opinion
97.  All assessors were in favour of the project and discussed (similar to Ifoga) whether TVNZ would be prepared
to broadcast this within TP
. Another assessor queried the
but it was agreed that the platform collaboration would help to
mitigate this. Staff will encourage Sunpix to engage with TVNZ on including Maisuka within TP.
98.  This proposal meets the criteria of both the PIJF and NZ On Air and provides critical information in the public
interest both for the wider audience and in particular Pasifika communities. It could provide a lifesaving wake
up call to many who are at risk from Type 2 Diabetes. Funding is recommended.

Nē?

The Spinoff



$217,325
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work


OFFICIAL

Synopsis
99.  Nē? is a podcast and written series, exploring hot issues within te ao Māori through an informed and
dynamic Māori lens. This project includes 25 x 30’ podcasts released fortnightly, and 50 x written features
THE  ACT
released weekly on The Spinoff.
General Assessment
100.  This is a multi-part current affairs series focusing on te ao Māori issues made by an all-Māori team led by
. Topics wil  vary but the lens through which they are viewed wil  be Māori.
101.  The research done for the podcast episode will then inform a written feature.
102.  The Spinoff claims that this is at-risk or missing PIJ on the basis that there is no regular current affairs podcast
solely dedicated to Māori issues and perspectives.
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103.  All assessors were in favour of the project with one stating that “the use of Nē? As a working name is great
because it has both a col oquial and formal application in terms of storytel ing from a Māori perspective. This
proposal offers a strong editorial and staffing component.”
104.  The budget of
will be spread across 25 podcasts and 50 written features
Staff Opinion
105.  To ensure a strong reach to Māori audiences, the assessors felt the project could be encouraged to collaborate
INFORMATION
with iwi radio. This will be recommended to The Spinoff prior to contracting.
106.  This  proposal  has  the  ability  to  deliver  strong  PIJ  content  to  Māori  audiences  while  giving  mainstream
audiences a glimpse into te ao Māori and Māori whakaaro. Funding is recommended.

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Paakiwaha

UMA Broadcasting


$433,000
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

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Synopsis
107.  This is a proposal to expand the existing Waatea News Current Affairs show Paakiwaha by increasing the
number of shows each week and broadcasting every working weekday morning. It also proposes to have more
journalists and two hosts.  480 hours live broadcast p.a. 10 repeat broadcasts per show, 960 podcasts to
Soundcloud, 1,200 posts to Waatea website and social media platforms.
General Assessment
108.  NZ On Air has funded Paakiwaha (48 x 2 hour weekly current affairs show in English that plays Mondays
10.00am to midday) since 2003. The last year we funded was FY2019-20

The annual funding amount is usual y $75,000.
109.  This proposal expands the programme from one day a week to five, moves it to the prime breakfast slot (7am
to 9am) and adds two journalists and a second host, essentially creating a Māori “Morning Report”. The show
will also now be bilingual.
110.  The addition of journalists will lift the current format which relies on phone interviews to enable live and on
the spot coverage as well as kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) interviews and it aims to present four to six
stories per hour.
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111.  Content wil  be published online to the Waatea news website, via live-streaming, podcast channels, social
media platforms, YouTube and mobile phone apps. Iwi stations wil  be able to pick up content via the Te
Māngai Pāho funded Punga network and Burli news hub.
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112.  Paakiwaha will collaborate with the 21 iwi radio stations, along with regional news providers Waipareira
THE
Digital, E-Tangata, RNZ, The Hui, Māori Television and TVNZ’s Te Karere.
113.

Staff Opinion
114.  All  assessors were strongly in favour of the project.  One stated “Costs associated with the budget are
consistent with industry standards. the time shift to a prime breakfast slot over an extended timeframe of 1-5
programmes per week meets a growing demand for a Māori centric approach to news.”
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115.  There was some concern about the sustainability of the programme beyond the life span of the PIJF and
expectations to continue annually funding it at that higher cost base. NZ On Air and TMP wil  need to discuss
how this funding could potentially carry on beyond the PIJF if its performance is strong.
116.  This application provides good PIJ content delivery via wide and demonstrated avenues of collaboration. The
move to ensuring it is a bilingual show is a strong embodiment of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and it is an important
and overdue step forward for Māori radio and online news and current affairs. Funding is recommended.

INFORMATION
Party People

Aotearoa Media Col ective

$236,930
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

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Synopsis
117.  Following on from a primarily self-funded pilot series, Party People brings scrutiny and review to politics while
preserving the upbeat conversational approach to political analysis.
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118.  This is a 26 x 45’ audio and video series for RNZ as the primary platform with secondary distribution via Tūranga
FM and Radio Waatea.
General Assessment
119.  The proposal follows a successful podcast series last year that focused on Māori politics with a proposal to
extend the series into video as well this year. For the pilot series, R

120.  The second series proposes a specially designed roundtable multi-camera set up to provide as-live edited video
to the podcast giving the audience the opportunity to see the nuances of the discussions.
121.  Party People is planned to air

122.  The proposal contained letters of support from RNZ, Tūranga FM and Radio Waatea who will all air the video
and podcast respectively.
123.

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Staff Opinion
124.  All assessors were strongly in favour of the project. One stated,  “I would support this proposal first and
foremost on the basis of the success of the pilot and the calibre of the team that wil  produce the second series.
There is a strong commitment from RNZ (which self-funded the pilot with AMC) and a video strategy that should
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attract a reasonable audience. A left-right-mediator format can be engaging and the proposed participants
should build a good fol owing. Behind the banter wil  be an informative programme that fil s the PIJF mandate.”
125.  The PIJF guidelines generally state the fund is not available for national political reporting (which is currently
well covered by mainstream media) it does,  however,  provide a caveat around where a gap in terms of
targeted audiences can be identified. In this instance, with the largest cohort of Māori politicians in Parliament,
the need for culturally led critical analysis has never been greater and is not met anywhere else.
126.  The project meets the goals  of PIJF in providing Māori  and  Iwi  journalism  made  by  Māori  about  Māori
perspectives, issues, and interests prioritising the needs of Māori. Funding is recommended.
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INFORMATION

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OFFICIAL

ACT

THE

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The Detail


Newsroom

     $806,135
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

INFORMATION
Synopsis
135.  The Detail is a daily podcast aimed at a younger audience who accesses content through non-traditional
channels. It is designed to explain the stories behind the headlines and give listeners context, and a deeper
understanding of notable events. This is a 99 x 20’ podcast series (18 months) by Newsroom for RNZ.
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General Assessment
136.  The Detail has been running for three years and was original y funded under the RNZ Innovation fund. This
month it marked its 400th podcast episode. RNZ data show episodes of The Detail have been downloaded
more than three million times and it now sits third in terms of RNZ programme downloads behind Morning
Report and Nine to Noon.
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137.  The Detail promotes itself as the “news explained”, providing expertise from journalists and experts to help
the audience make sense of the big stories. Audio podcasts are accompanied by text stories available on the
RNZ, Newsroom and Stuff websites.
138.  NZ On Air funded 6-months of The Detail for $311,269 in the 2020-10 round. This shortened time frame was
due to the fact that
NZ On
Air decided in February 2021 that existing funded journalism series (such as The Detail and Regional Media
projects) should come into the PIJF for future funding to ensure that al  applications were assessed under the
same processes and guidelines.
139.  This application provides for 322 episodes of 22’ duration between

140.  The application points to a growing audience especially among what it calls ‘hard to reach millennials’.

141.  The primary platform distribution is Newsroom with additional platforms of RNZ and Stuff as well as third
party distributors including Apple and Spotify.

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142.  The MOU provides an understanding of the level of co-operation and editorial control allowed for in the
relationship and both Newsroom and RNZ have robust editorial capability along with reputations to maintain
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which should maintain journalism of the highest calibre.  THE
143.  The applicant acknowledges a lack of diversity in its team and while it says it tries hard to include diverse
voices in the series, it says a lack of diversity in major newsrooms is an ongoing issue. It has included a
budget line to assist implementation of a strategy to second reporters to The Detail or meet the cost of
freelance journalists from diverse cultural backgrounds.
144.

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Staff Opinion
145.  Most assessors acknowledged the podcast had delivered high quality PIJ. One commented, “The Detail is a
successful venture that fits squarely in the public interest journalism frame. Newsroom and Radio NZ,
together with Stuff ensure it has a broad reach. The personnel involved are highly experienced, with proven
track records in broadcasting and podcasting.”
146.  However, assessors pointed to a complete lack of a demonstrated commitment or reference to Te Tiriti
throughout the proposal. This would be detail sought prior to contracting.
INFORMATION
147.  This is a quality podcast that has delivered over a number of years. Audiences take time to build up and the
continued growth of this podcast is evidence that given time audiences will build a following.
148.  The MOU with RNZ is only for the 2021 calendar year as is the letter of support and we would need to
ensure that RNZ will remain supportive of the project across 2022. There is no supporting documentation
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around the continued involvement of the Stuff platform and that maybe because that is provided via a
content sharing arrangement with RNZ and Stuff.
149.  The assessors were also concerned in the precedent of continued funding for The Detail beyond the two
years of the PIJF and felt this project should be decided at NZ On Air Board level as they believed it was a
governance issue, and at that budget level (close to the >$1m threshold for Board decisions) they were not
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in a position to provide a definitive recommendation without clear support from the NZ On Air Board.
Funding is recommended

The Hui: Summer Edition
Great Southern Television


$178,729
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
150.  A summer edition of the Māori current affairs programme to be broadcast over The Hui’s usual hiatus every
Monday at 8:30pm. The Hui: Summer Edition will be uploaded directly to Facebook, and will be uploaded and
shared on Newshub's web and social media platforms.
General Assessment
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151.  The proposal is to produce on 5-8-minute-long current affairs story focused from a Māori perspective.
152.
The Hui shifted to digital-first
distribution on its Facebook page ahead of the linear playout in 2020 after in an attempt to reach a broader
and younger-skewing audience demographic.
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153.  These stories wil  be produced by junior up and coming reporters
and
under
the part time supervision of reporters from The Hui.
154.  The proposal states that now The Hui is a digital-first programme, the Summer series will maintain its
audience. It says Māori audiences are entitled to year-round current affairs at a high-level.
155.  Due to the social media platform nature of this content and the relative youth of the presenters, The Hui
believes the Summer edition will have a stronger reach into the hard-to-reach younger audience.
156.  Newshub has indicated it is prepared to use shorter versions of the items potentially providing an even
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greater audience.
Staff Opinion
157.  All assessors were strongly in favour of this proposal with one noting “I am not a particular fan of "summer
news programmes" as they traditionally tend to consist of a mash-up of previously run highlights. This
proposal is not that because it offers fresh material. I am very supportive of the notion of using this time to
identify and support relatively new talent to the industry.”
158.  The proposal both upskills two young reporters and provides content during a period when all other current
INFORMATION
affairs shows are off air. Facebook is capable of delivering a strong audience especially with Māori.
159.
airing on social media is high compared to similar-
scaled projects,  but  this is tempered by the fact it is also providing training for two reporters who are
transitioning into current affairs. Funding is recommended.
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The Living Forest

Lifestyle Publishing

$4,250
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

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Synopsis
160.  What happens when you see the forest as a living entity? Wilderness Magazine visits three iwi in New Zealand
to understand their relationship with the ngāhere (forest). The project is predominantly written journalism
and wil  be published in Wilderness magazine and on wildernessmag.co.nz. A 2,500-word feature story, a 45
sec video and accompanying photos.
General Assessment
161.  This proposal is for a single story that encompasses the views of three iwi about their relationship with the
ngāhere (forest) and natural world.
162.  While the reporter is Pākehā, she has demonstrated in past work that she is capable of cultural sensitivity and
given that the readers of Wilderness magazine are predominately Pākehā, she will also be aware of the issues
they will be curious about. To demonstrate her determination to provide a col aborative approach with iwi to
tell their stories, she has committed to traveling to meet with her talent face to face. While this is not standard
OFFICIAL
journalist practise Wilderness Magazine has deemed it appropriate in this situation.
163.  The proposal outlines three iwi, Te Roroa and its relationship with kauri in the Waipoua forest, Whanganui
and its relationship with the Whanganui River and Ngāti Waewae on the West Coast to discuss its relationship
and guardianship of pounamu.
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164.

165.  Wilderness’ readers access the magazine primarily through the printed magazine, with
subscribers (as
of May 2021).

Content is freely available via the website.
Staff Opinion
166.  Assessors were all in favour of the project. This proposal provides important cultural insights to an audience
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that might not normal y be exposed to a Māori world view.
167.  The applicant has gone to significant lengths to ensure cultural sensitivity especially to conduct interviews
kanohi te kanohi (face to face) and to hire a te reo consultant which would put the cost of this exercise beyond
their normal business as usual. Funding is recommended.

The Whole Truth

Stuff


$591,465
INFORMATION
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

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Synopsis
168.  The Whole Truth is a fact-checking project designed to protect public health. Published on Stuff, this project
will include 20 animated videos, as well as 20 visual stories created for social media and accompanying text.
Further distribution platforms include Māori Television and PMN (Niu FM and 531pi),
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General Assessment
169.  This project builds upon the COVID-19 vaccine fact-checking project currently under way - and made possible
by funding
. This funding has ceased,  and  Stuff  would  like to  continue
broadening the scope beyond vaccination to al  matters concerning the wel -being of vulnerable communities.
170.  The content provided wil  be 20 animated videos, fronted by experienced broadcasters. Each video wil  be
between 1-2’ minutes in duration, and each will reflect one of 40 written posts. 20 visual stories will be created
specifically for publication on social media. Each of these reflects one of the 20 animated videos. 40 written
posts, each between 300 and 500 words will be published on a bespoke site within Stuff and in its newspapers.
171.  This written and visual material will cover areas including, but not limited to pregnancy and maternal wel -
being; nutrition; mental health; healthy homes; vaping; recreational drugs; and physical activity.
172.  While the project will call out harmful and misleading information it will be careful to keep a positive tone as
OFFICIAL
the applicant believes evidence shows antagonistic content has been seen to be less effective in combating
misinformation.
173.  The applicant says while the project will be similar in approach to the COVID-19 project, this version will
provide more comprehensive translation of content into languages of the Pacific, a broader scope of subject
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matter, tackling armful misinformation in a variety of guises, opening up new audiences, and an established
THE
fact-checking team with proven reporting, production and publication processes on a similar project.
Staff Opinion
174.  Most assessors were in favour of the project with one noting, “This proposal addresses a pressing need. The
falsehoods surrounding health have risen exponentially since the pandemic began. The Stuff solution, wel
supported by MTV and PMN, has the potential to counter this with facts. The Covid-19 fact-checking funded
by the Google News Initiative is a good guide to what can be expected from funding this initiative. The
project has merit in approaching subjects from an informational rather than news-based point of view.”
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175.  The cost of this project is high, but the resources needed to fact check and translate complex information
into social media sized content is difficult. However, given the use of existing staff it is hard to pinpoint the
costs that are incremental to Stuff business as usual.
176.  The level of misinformation in communities is extreme and this project is one attempt to tackle the issue.
Funding is recommended
  A

ANNEXES
INFORMATION

Annex B: A list of all PIJF: Project (National) applications submitted over the two-stage process.
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AGENDA ITEM 2.11
PUBLIC INTEREST JOURNALISM FUND: PROJECTS (LOCAL/REGIONAL)
FUNDING DECISIONS
RECOMMENDATION
That the Staff Investment Committee approves funding up to:
● $189,522 to Crux for Deep South
● $166,600 to Vanishing Point Studio for Fault Lines
● $214,360 to Stuff for Forever A Foreigner
● $460,000 to Te Reo Irirangi O Te Hiku O Te Ika for Haukāinga
● $840,000 to Very Nice Productions for Local Focus,
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● $440,000 to NZME for Rotorua Weekender -  Te  Wāhanga  Reo  Rua,
● $7,291 to Salient Magazine for Te Ao Mārama
● $498,370 to Awa FM for Te Awa,
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● $675,000 to Al ied Press for The South Today,
● $97,000 to Radio Bay of Plenty Limited for Whakatupuria Te Moana A Toi
and declines funding of:
● see Annex A for a list of shortlisted proposals recommended for decline.
10 shortlisted applications recommended for total funding of $3,588,143
shortlisted application recommended decline seeking total funding of
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BACKGROUND
1.
In January 2021 Cabinet agreed to draw down $55 million over the next three years (2021 - 2023) from the
tagged contingency set aside by Cabinet for broadcasting initiatives. This funding will be administered by NZ
On Air to support the production of public interest journalism including Māori and Iwi journalism that is
relevant to and valued by New Zealanders.
2.
General Guidelines for the PIJF were published in April 2021. The principles set out in the Cabinet paper have
INFORMATION
informed the design of the Public Interest Journalism Fund (PIJF). NZ On Air collaborated with Te Māngai
Pāho on the design and delivery of the fund.
3.
The PIJF is structured to support journalistic capability across three funding pillars: Projects, Roles and
Industry Development.
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ROUND OVERVIEW
4.
This first round of the PIJF sought applications to the Projects and Industry Development pil ars of the fund.
Information for this May/July 2021 funding round outlined the assessment criteria and funding priorities to
applicants.
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5.
Applicants were first asked to submit five-page proposals by 13 May, which were individually assessed by
panellists. A hui was then held on 21 May to shortlist proposals. Shortlisted applicants then submitted full
proposals by 3 June. Following further individual assessment, hui were held on 9-10 June to decide on the
funding recommendations outlined in this paper.
6.
NZ On Air earmarked $9.8m to this first funding round, and received 122 first-stage applications collectively
seeking over $50m.
Round Overview - PIJF: Projects (Local/Regional)
7.
The assessment panel for PIJF: Local/Regional applications included:
a.

b.


c.

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d.

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e.  Raewyn Rasch (Ngāi Tahu) - NZ On Air Head of Journalism. Former General Manager Māori and
Pacific programmes at TVNZ, executive producer of Seven Sharp, producer of Fair Go and Marae
Investigates, TV and radio journalist
f.  Anna Currie - NZ On Air Funding Advisor
8.
The Projects pillar of the PIJF is for tightly defined projects delivered to a deadline, similar to those funded
via the NZ Media Fund Factual stream. To this May/July 2021 round NZ On Air sought applications across two
Project categories: 1) National audiences and 2) Local/Regional.
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9.
This SIC paper assesses PIJF: Local/Regional Project applications.
10.  Local/Regional Projects are those with a targeted focus on a specific local or regional audience, and funding
levels are intended to be commensurate to platform/publication and audience size.
11.  This funding category sought journalism specific to local and regional communities that is currently not being
fulfilled, are substantially unfulfilled or at imminent risk. Applicants were expected to provide a strong case
for how their project addresses ‘at-risk or missing’ public interest journalism.
12.  Other specific assessment criteria for Local/Regional Project proposals were content distribution
INFORMATION
agreements, sharing resources or co-producing content that furthered the interests of the industry and
audience along with consideration of how the project might be sustainable or contribute to sustainable
outcomes.
13.  In determining funding recommendations, alongside the individual merits of each application, the panel also
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considered how it met the goals and definition of PIJ, showed a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi,
supported Māori and Iwi journalism, and targeted content areas and communities (local, regional, national)
that are currently not being fulfilled in particular: Pacific, women, youth, children, persons with disabilities,
ethnic communities (with a focus on Pan-Asian communities).
14.  Projects currently funded through NZ On Air’s Regional Media fund were asked to submit to this round and 3
such projects were selected for the shortlist.
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15.

16.  One application,
was declined for assessment because it did not meet NZ On Air’s
standard threshold for assessment. This left  Local/Regional Project applications to be assessed by the
panel.
17.  The panel shortlisted  Local/Regional Projects. Following assessment of these full proposals, 10 are
recommended for funding approval. Individual assessments of the 10 funding recommendations are
included below.

GENERAL ASSESSMENT & STAFF OPINION
Deep South

Crux

$189,522
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

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Synopsis
18.  A 5 x 7’ investigative video series for the Crux website looking at the complex issues in the Deep South that
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involve a clash between pioneer-based values and recent residents in the region.
General Assessment
19.  Deep South  investigates  difficult social/economic issues unique to the lower half of the South Island, Te
Waipounamu.
20.

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21.  Deep South will involve the extensive use of a specialist news/current affairs researcher to work with the three
Crux journalist/producers prior to each shoot getting underway and

22.  The proposal outlines nine  potential topics for investigation including:

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23.  The proposal provides a detailed sample script and treatment for a story, but stories will not be confirmed
until the research has been carried out.
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Staff Opinion
24.  In response to staff feedback from the initial proposal, Crux has gone to great lengths to demonstrate Deep
South would be an investigative series providing strong PIJF.
25.  The inclusion of external co-producers
and
has strengthened the editorial team.
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26.  There should be some attempt to bring in a Māori journalist to work on the Ngāi Tahu story and Crux have
indicated they are keen to do that.
27.  There is mention that the content would be shared with

28.  Assessors were generally in favour of this proposal with one stating,  “Fine  combination  of  investigative
journalism and film making.”
29.  The cost of
per episode is on the high side but staff notes that investigative journalism is expensive to
produce and felt the costs were reasonable on that basis.
30.  Staff expect the proposal will provide quality video journalism, not often available to Southern audiences.
Funding is recommended.
Fault Lines

Vanishing Point Studio

$166,600
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

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Synopsis
31.  A cross-platform piece of explanatory journalism looking at the science behind, and the communities at risk
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of, the rupture of the Alpine Fault.
General Assessment
32.  This proposal is for an innovative cross-platform collaboration to provide communities with  a detailed
investigation into the impending Alpine Fault rupture and how it will affect communities living along it.
33.  Content produced wil  include a North & South cover story of up to 8,000 words, and an innovative digital
home for the story that enhances the magazine text with multimedia/interactive/data elements in order to
reach a broader audience.
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34.  It will also include shorter news/feature articles for the  Westport News, the  Greymouth Star,  Hokitika
Guardian, Nelson Weekly and Marlborough Weekly.
35.  The applicants will partner with Tahu FM on audio and digital packages for its radio and online platforms to
ensure reach to Māori audiences.
36.  There would also be approximately 10 x news articles of 400 – 600 words that would be available along with
photography and the digital elements if required.
37.  There would be approximately 5 x 3’ videos that would be shared across all the publications’ digital and social
INFORMATION
channels - al  pointing towards the print publication and the multimedia package.
38.  The proposal is to use experienced national reporters and producers, paired with almost every regional news
outlet from Haast on the West Coast, where the Alpine Fault begins, up the coast and around to Marlborough
where it ends.
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39.  The project aims to work with the scientists researching the fault line to explain what they know about how
the fault might rupture and what effects there would be.
40.  In the reporting process the Fault Lines team will embed with each partnering news organisation to provide
local elements of the story.
41.  The proposal outlines in detail the areas the investigation will cover including community preparedness, Māori
mātauranga and engagement.
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Staff Opinion
42.  This is a solid example of PIJF that will bring together the strands of a nationally significant story while
delivering strong information to local communities most affected.
43.  The applicants responded to staff feedback at the shortlisting phase to include Māori perspectives in the
proposal and demonstrated engagement with a letter of support from a local rūnanga.
44.  Assessors were unanimously in favour of funding with one commenting “Technically high quality and visually
effective, with coherent reporting and convincing authorities interviewed. The Climate Change video to which
the application linked showed how wel  this company could do in explaining the Alpine Fault threat.” Funding
is recommended.
Forever A Foreigner

Stuff

$214,360
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

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Synopsis
THE
45.  Forever A Foreigner will investigate what it was really like for New Zealand’s first Asian immigrants and their
descendants. This project would produce long-form feature articles with five distinct stories and five videos,
which can be combined to a 1 x 25’ documentary for PlayStuff and Māori Television.
General Assessment
46.  This proposal seeks to provide an in-depth look at the NZ Chinese community from the first arrivals in the
1840s to new migrants today  and the issues they face living in New Zealand.  It will seek  to address
misconceptions and misunderstandings around the Chinese community and its history here.
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47.  The series is split into five episodes:

The proposal provides summaries of each of these topics.
48.  The proposal is for a variety of content including video, interactive digital, print and feature stories. The video
content would build into a documentary which will be played on Māori Television and PlayStuff.
49.  The content will appear on Stuff’s website in a bespoke interactive landing page and will be further promoted
in articles published in Stuff’s print publications (i.e. The Nelson Mail, The Sunday Star Times, Sunday Magazine
INFORMATION
etc.) The video wil  be offered to Māori Television as on demand online content.
50.  The project aims to enhance understanding of diverse cultures and make people explore their own
prejudice, enhancing acceptance within wider society.
51.  This project will be based from the Stuff Nelson office providing a regional newsroom with the opportunity
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to take on a large project they would otherwise not have the resource to be able to do.
52.  The project treatment will be similar to this series run by Stuff:
https://interactives.stuff.co.nz/2019/12/product-of-australia/
Staff Opinion
53.  This is the only proposal in this round to target the underserved Chinese community in New Zealand.
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54.

55.  While exact content outcomes are not clear, it is expected the budget would be spread across 5 x 5’ videos, 5
interactive digital stories and 5 print features

56.

Staff will work with
Stuff prior to contracting to ensure that the scope and scale is fit for purpose.
57.  Assessors were unanimously in favour of funding this project with one commenting, “Well outlined, socially
significant, could not be done without the additional funding … meets al  PIJ criteria.” Funding is
recommended

Haukāinga

Te Reo Irirangi O Te Hiku O Te Ika

$460,000
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

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Synopsis
ACT
58.  Haukāinga is a regional public interest journalism initiative that allows Northlanders to share their stories and
THE
be informed about the current events and issues that are important to them.
General Assessment
59.  Since 2013, Haukāinga has been funded as a Regional Media project by NZ On Air.

60.  This project will deliver 70 x short-form news videos, 35 x bonus content videos, 30 x livestream events, 4 x
livestream broadcasts and 64 x On-demand livestream videos.
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61.  The increased funding wil  fund additional bonus content to provide a deep dive into more complex issues by
producing videos that side alongside the short-form videos currently funded. It will also cover ‘Whitiwhiti’ a
short live interview series including panel discussions and one-on-one expert interviews around a researched
topic of regional importance.
62.  The application proposes livestream broadcasts would include Māori Language Week events in September,
Waitangi Day, Te Tai Tokerau Kapa Haka Festival April 2022, and the June 2022 Manu Kōrero Regional Speech
Competition.
INFORMATION
63.

64.  While Haukāinga is based in Kaitaia it has increased coverage in the lower Te Tai Tokerau region with a new
team member based in Whangarei.
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65.  Content distribution platforms include the new digital app Whare Kōrero- a media platform developed by Te
Hiku. While the app was only launched in March it is expected it will take over the Tehiku.nz- website as the
primary audience access point for Haukāinga.
66.  Haukāinga is also available via social media and partner platforms include Te Hiku FM, Māori Television and
the Iwi Radio network with livestreams simulcast to regional audiences through the country.
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67.  Te Hiku Media has a Māori Language Plan that outlines  the commitment and expectations around Māori
language delivery in their content.
Staff Opinion
68.  Haukāinga has demonstrated an ability to produce quality, innovative and engaging content deeply connected
with its communities in the Far North. Examples of Haukāinga  short form videos, can be seen here
https://tehiku.nz/te-hiku-tv/haukainga/
69.
reflects a goal to deliver better quality content over increased quantity. At the heart of
the quality improvement is expertise in journalism to ensure that content maintains a standard of excellence
in PIJ. This sees a majority of the funding invested into the people that produce the content.
70.  The cost across multiple levels of content and platforms is justified and a commitment to increase the standard
of journalism is noted.
71.  Assessors were unanimously in favour of this proposal with one commenting, “High quality regional journalism
being produced by this outlet. This is a detailed and wel -expressed application, fully deserving of all the support
we can afford. It sets a standard that others in this field ought to fol ow.” This is a quality application that
delivers  to  multiple  criteria  of  the  PIJF  including  te  Tiriti  o  Waitangi,    regional  media  and  Māori  and  Iwi
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Journalism. Funding is recommended.
Local Focus

Very Nice Productions


$840,000
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work
THE  ACT


Synopsis
72.  Regional video news for Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Whanganui, Marlborough,
Nelson/Tasman and the West Coast. This project would deliver 1,920 minutes of fully packaged news video
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content (240’ per region).
General Assessment
73.

74.  Local Focus has provided local video content for the Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, Hawkes Bay and Whānganui via
the NZ Herald and NZME regional publications.
INFORMATION
75.  The NZ Herald has recently launched a South Island page on its website.
76.

77.

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78.  A video-journalist based in each region makes 1 –2 videos a week with a minimum of 5’ content a week on
average. Text articles are produced alongside the video which appear on the NZ Herald website and regional
NZME papers.
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79.  The applicant says for the past five years,

80.

81.  The quality of the Local Focus content is noted in the seven Voyager Media Awards nominations and awards
won in 2018 and 2020.
Staff Opinion
82.  Assessors were generally in favour of funding with one commenting, “Highly successful existing project, public
interest journalism, significant audience …  meets all PIJ criteria”.
83.  While Very Nice Productions propose appointing a local journalist to work in the West Coast region, there
remains the issue of where the content would be locally distributed. NZME has no current titles on the West
Coast.

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84.

THE  ACT
85.

. Funding is recommended

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Rotorua Weekender - Te Wāhanga Reo Rua
NZME
            $440,000
Key Personnel
Title/s

Synopsis
INFORMATION
86.  NZME, the publisher of the weekly free community newspaper the Rotorua Weekender, is seeking funding to
produce a weekly bilingual section in the paper, shining a light on local Rotorua iwi issues and people. This
project would produce a weekly four-page section.
General Assessment
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87.  Te Hinonga – Te Wāhanga Reo Rua is the only application in the round to propose a bilingual newspaper.
88.  After discussions with staff at the shortlisting phase around the capability of the publication to produce the
level of te reo Māori and translation required, the NZME publishers revised their proposal to outsource the
project to

89.

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established locally.
would be responsible for driving the project - delivering te reo local news
journalism including reporting, writing, translation, layout and production.

has both reporting and sub-editing experience.
90.

91.  The section will provide news articles about local iwi issues and people, with versions of each story in te reo
and an English translation as a way of connecting te reo and Māori content with Māori and other cultures in
the Rotorua community.
92.  There are 28,839 Māori living in Rotorua (2018 Census data), making up just over 40% of the district’s total
population. Rotorua is the home of Te Arawa iwi, including Ngāti Pikiao, Tūhourangi and Ngāti Whakaue.
Content produced would heavily reflect this.
93.

The distribution is part of the established NZME network. The content would also be published on
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NZME’s digital platforms, including the Rotorua Daily Post and New Zealand Herald’s Kāhu section.
94.

95.  The applicants propose an iwi advisory group to advise NZME and
on strategy and ongoing iwi
THE  ACT
partnerships.
Staff Opinion
96.  This is a bold project to produce a bilingual print weekly supplement  in an area  that  has  a  high  Māori
population and would be the only one of its kind.
97.

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98.  This is a multi-year funding application, which the PIJF  guidelines state should only be granted under
exceptional circumstances.  Staff notes that this application has intensive set up required  to  execute this
ambitious concept  and

The  assessors were positive about

and this was
another reason why the multi-year funding to seed the publication felt justified.
INFORMATION
99.  It is suggested
involvement would help provide a pathway for rangatahi - the next generation
of Māori journalism cadets and connect with another project applying to the PIJF, the Te Rito Journalism
Project.
100.  Assessors were unanimously in favour of this proposal being funded with one commenting “Highly
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professional project based on much-needed diversity journalism. Should have as much support as we can
afford.” Funding is recommended

Te Ao Mārama

  Salient Magazine


$7,291
Key Personnel
Title/s

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Synopsis
101.  This application seeks funding for a special edition of Salient (Te Ao Mārama) produced by Māori students at
Victoria University of Wellington.
General Assessment
102.  Te  Ao Mārama,  is the Māori  student's media magazine at Victoria University of Wellington and was first
introduced 30 years ago. The magazine is curated by Māori students in partnership with the Salient student
Media team annually during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, Māori language week.
103.  Te Ao Mārama would be guest edited by Ngāi Tauira (the Māori Students Association at Victoria) with support
from Te Pararē (the student magazine of Te Mana Akonga National Māori Students Association), reporting on
issues relevant to Tauira Māori.
104.  This project would produce one 40-page magazine, with 2,000 copies printed and articles uploaded online
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across two platforms.
105.  Funding for this year’s edition will provide mentor support and training for the tauira involved in the
publication. Mentors including
will provide support and editorial guidance.
106.  Funding will provide for three workshops (starting in July) to engage writers, bringing journalism speakers in
ACT
to upskill participants and plan for production.
THE
107.  Last year’s Te Ao Mārama edition can be found here.
Staff Opinion
108.  This application will meet the needs of a small Māori audience at Victoria University but will also play a role
in encouraging journalism among Māori graduates.
109.  Mentor,
, provided an impassioned letter of support detailing how
time at the
magazine in the past had influenced

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110.  This application meets the criteria of PIJF in supporting Māori journalism and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
111.  Assessors were generally in favour although one was concerned at the standard of student magazines stating
they were “long on opinion and short on journalistic reporting.” However, other assessors felt the application
satisfied all PIJ criteria and was a good example of Te Tiriti partnership aimed at a hard to reach rangatahi
audience. Funding is recommended.





INFORMATION

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ACT
THE

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INFORMATION
The South Today



Allied Press


$675,000
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

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Synopsis
124.  The South Today delivers video news content to local communities in collaboration with the Allied Press'
daily and community newspaper network. This project proposes to deliver 622 video news video clips at an
average of 14 per week over 48 weeks along with The South Today Bulletin of five episodes per week of up
to 15’ of video content.
General Assessment
125.  The South Today has been funded in its current form since 2016 via NZ On Air’s Regional Media Fund. Across
that time its funding has broadly sat at around $400,000 per year. Under the PIJF, Al ied Press has requested
an additional $275K annual funding.
126.  The additional funding will be used to

127.  A new video news producer/line producer role has been included to oversee the delivery of quality local
news content.
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128.  The applicant proposes

The content will remain available on demand via YouTube, in prominent
places on the ODT.co.nz homepage and regional websites, as a downloadable podcast and via Channel 39 in
Dunedin and Invercargill.
THE  ACT
129.  Allied Press publications will promote video content via a permanent channel on their home pages and
embedded within stories located on the site and on social media and QR codes on printed media will take
readers through to video content.
130.  Al  video content wil  continue to be distributed on Al ied Press' South Island website platforms – ODT.co.nz
and regional community websites including North and South Canterbury, Christchurch Starnews.co.nz, North
Otago, Otago, Southland, Central Otago and Lakes District, and the West Coast of the South Island.
131.

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132.  Regional community newspapers will be expected to create one showcase video per week and use editorial
space to present this video news story to their readers.
Staff Opinion
133.  Leveraging the 19 local publications within the Allied Press stable provides comprehensive coverage of all
regions of the South Island apart from the Nelson, Marlborough and Buller districts.
134.

INFORMATION

135.  The extra $275,000 to fund this increased video coverage of five additional regions will increase video
storytelling across areas underserved at present. The reduction of the news bulletin and more emphasis on
embedded content and online content wil  provide audience with on-demand content without the need to
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view the current Dunedin based 30-minute TV programme.
136.

137.
Staff
will speak to Allied Press further about this and discuss potential options around Te Tiriti training
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programmes and possible collaboration with iwi radio Tahu FM. Staff notes that since the PIJF summit, Allied
Press has proactively been in contact with staff to discuss potential Te Tiriti training.
138.  Assessors were generally in favour of funding with one commenting, “Hyper local journalism project, meets
PIJ criteria, excel ent model of decentralised newsgathering, wel  outlined project, good track record in
producing video content.” Funding is recommended

Whakatupuria Te Moana A Toi               Radio Bay of Plenty Limited

$97,000
Key Personnel
Title/s

Synopsis
OFFICIAL
139.  A radio-based, multimedia project to report to the community on the multiple Provincial Growth Unit
projects in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. This project would deliver 50’ of video, 200 x 2’ programmes for
radio/podcasts, 40 x 90’ live interviews, 20 x 5’ other interviews and news stories.
General Assessment
THE  ACT
140.  This radio based multi-media project aims to report on the 11 Provincial Growth Fund projects in the Eastern
Bay worth nearly $200m. It will provide a “warts and all” look at the progress of the extensive network of
PGU(PGF) projects in order to show how public money is being spent in the interests of development.
141.  The project will enable Radio Bay of Plenty to hire a bi-lingual journalist to assist with the project in addition
to its two current journalists.
142.  The proposal is to set up a project office in Ōpōtiki to work alongside the two journalists currently based at
the Whakatane station 1XX.
143.

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144.

Staff Opinion
145.  Radio Bay of Plenty has experience in producing a similar large-scale project, “Discover Our Local” a 74 episode
video series showcasing local people and places during 2020, which  placed  second  at the International
INFORMATION
Broadcast Idea Bank convention in Oklahoma.
146.  The applicant believes this project is beyond its normal scope of quick turnaround daily news and while this
application could also meet the criteria for the upcoming role-based round, staff felt that given the nature of
the PGF focus, it met the project-based round criteria and was therefore suitable to fund out of this round.
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147.  It does provide PIJ in investigating the impact the PGF projects wil  have on the community, the progress they
are making and how they are spending public funds.
148.  Assessors noted positively that this proposal felt squarely focused on local audiences.
149.  Given the depth of investigation that may be required, this project will require careful monitoring to ensure
journalistic standards of fairness and balance are achieved and it does hold the PGF projects to account.
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150.  The applicant has made attempts to demonstrate a meaningful Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership with a proposal
for bi-lingual content and proposed collaboration with local iwi radio. Funding is recommended.

ATTACHMENTS

OFFICIAL
THE  ACT
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INFORMATION
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AGENDA ITEM 2.12
PUBLIC INTEREST JOURNALISM FUND: INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT
FUNDING DECISIONS
RECOMMENDATION
That the Staff Investment Committee approves funding up to:
● $191,000 to BusinessDesk for BusinessDesk Cadet Training Programme (Single Media Entity),
● $49,324 to Tikilounge Productions for Coconet Reporter Training (Single Media Entity)
● $287,310 to The Spinoff for Current Affairs and Culture Magazine Mentorship Programme (Cross-
Sector Training),
● $121,420 to Attitude Pictures for Disability Roadshow (Collaborative Media/Education),
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● $50,610 to Newsroom NZ Ltd for Newsroom NZ (Single Media Entity),
● $98,256 to Kowhai Media Ltd for Photo Aotearoa (Single Media Entity)ACT
● $361,815 to Aotearoa Media Collective for Pīpī Paopao (Te Tiriti Partnership and Education)
THE
● $300,800 to Stuff for Training: Multi-Lens Journalism (Collaborative Media/Education)
● $171,654 to Stuff for Training: Stuff Circuit Internships (Single Media Entity),
and declines funding of:
● see Annex A for the shortlisted proposal recommended for decline at full proposal stage.
9 shortlisted applications recommended for total funding of $1,632,189.
shortlisted application recommended for decline seeking total funding of
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BACKGROUND
1.
In January 2021 Cabinet agreed to draw down $55 million over the next three years (2021 - 2023) from the
tagged contingency set aside by Cabinet for broadcasting initiatives. This funding will be administered by NZ
On Air to support the production of public interest journalism including Māori and Iwi journalism that is
relevant to and valued by New Zealanders.
INFORMATION
2.
General Guidelines for the PIJF were published in April 2021. The principles set out in the Cabinet paper have
informed the design of the Public Interest Journalism Fund (PIJF). NZ On Air col aborated with Te Māngai
Pāho on the design and delivery of the fund.
3.
The PIJF is structured to support journalistic capability across three funding pillars: Projects, Roles and
Industry Development.
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ROUND OVERVIEW
4.
This first round of the PIJF sought applications to the Projects and Industry Development pillars of the fund.
Information for this May/July 2021 funding round outlined the assessment criteria and funding priorities to
applicants.
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5.
Applicants were first asked to submit five-page proposals by 13 May, which were individually assessed by
panellists. A hui was then held on 21 May to shortlist proposals. Shortlisted applicants then submitted full
proposals by 3 June. Fol owing further individual assessment, hui were held on 10 June and 14 June to
decide on the funding recommendations outlined in this paper.
6.
NZ On Air earmarked $9.6m to this first funding round, and received 122 first-stage applications collectively
seeking over $50m.
Round Overview - PIJF: Industry Development Fund
7.
The assessment panel for PIJF: Industry Development applications included:
•



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  THE  ACT
•  Raewyn Rasch (Ngāi Tahu) - NZ On Air Head of Journalism. Former General Manager Māori and
Pacific programmes at TVNZ, executive producer of Seven Sharp, producer of Fair Go and Marae
Investigates, TV and radio journalist
•  Anna Currie - NZ On Air Funding Advisor
8.
Conflicts of Interests (COI) are outlined as below. Funding assessors did not assess applications, and were
not involved in the funding decisions for these applications.
•

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•

knows applicants personally.
applicants personally
9.
Raewyn Rasch declared a potential COI for

The Head of Funding reviewed this COI and deemed that this was not
a material COI and that Raewyn could provide impartial assessment of these applications.
INFORMATION
10.  The Industry Development pillar of the PIJF is an acknowledgement that training, and development are vital
to the delivery of short and medium-term talent gain in the journalism sector. This funding round accepted
applications across the following Industry Development categories:
a.  Cross-sector training/cadetship collaboration between media entities
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b.  Training that supports the PIJF goals of encouraging Te Tiriti partnership and education
c.  Training/cadetship collaboration between media entities and journalism courses
d.  Internal training/cadetships specific to a single media entity
e.  Funding for small-scale, targeted initiatives focused on sustainability / innovation
11.  In determining funding recommendations, alongside the individual merits of each application, the panel also
considered missed opportunities around platform coordination and collaboration in the delivery of large-
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scale national schemes. In these instances, assessors declined applications at the first stage in order to
address this issue with the sector directly at the PIJF summit held on 9 June.
12.  Of the 122 first-stage applications received to this PIJF round, 23 were Industry Development applications
col ectively seeking over $9.5m.
13.  One Industry Development application, Te Rito Journalism Project (Media Entity Collaboration) for NZME,
Māori Television, Newshub and Pacific Media Network is seeking $2,419,253 over the next two financial years
and is in front of the Board for consideration. The recommendation for this is included in Annex B.
14.  Two applications were declined for assessment because they did not meet NZ On Air’s standard threshold
for assessment. These are included in Annex B.
15.  The panel shortlisted 11 Industry Development applications, and, following assessment of their full
proposals, 10 are recommended for funding approval. Individual assessments of the funding
recommendations are included below.
  GENERAL ASSESSMENT & STAFF OPINION
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BusinessDesk Cadet Training Programme
BusinessDesk

$191,000
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

THE  ACT
Synopsis
16.  This is a single media entity training proposal that would train at least two potential junior business journalists
at the Auckland and Wel ington newsrooms of BusinessDesk.
General Assessment
17.  There is a perceived lack of specialist business reporters and BusinessDesk provides a credible environment to
mentor and train new business journalists through a mixed model of directed learning, on-the-job training,
and mentorship.
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18.  BusinessDesk claims that with its level of specialisation, cadets can be seen as a potential liability. Mistakes
they might make or things they might miss can impact a publication’s reputation. The level of oversight
required to maintain standards puts this request beyond business-as-usual for BusinessDesk.
19.  The 12-month training scheme would operate by deploying senior resource to training and oversight roles for
junior or cadet roles, augmented by the part-time employment of a tutor/supervisor with relevant business
journalism experience.
20.
It seeks
INFORMATION
to prioritise applicants who will add to the diversity of NZ business journalism and NZ journalism in general.
21.  BusinessDesk has worked with experienced
journalism academic
to create the
outline of a training programme (which was detailed broadly in the proposal). They are in discussion with the
to give cadets access to their modules. They have agreed to this but have
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not yet signed a contract. This means the cadets could study specific areas, such as media law,

22.  BusinessDesk commits to employ al  cadets that meet their quality criteria. These will be fulltime roles and the
proposal details a recruitment ad will be published once funded.
23.  It has experience of bringing young reporters through the ranks and details the case of six such journalists who
have gone on to win awards and influential positions since 2008.
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24.  Cadets wil  be expected to produce content and a schedule of reviews will track and feedback on progress.
Cadets wil  meet with the tutor once per fortnight along with bi-monthly reviews with the Editor and Head of
News.

Staff believes this should be a requirement given the
eligibility guidelines of the PIJF.
25.

Staff Opinion
26.  This  proposal does provide  the outline of a  training programme for a specialist genre of journalism not
provided for anywhere else and a commitment beyond the ‘learn by osmosis’ strategy of many mentorship
programmes.
27.  Staff notes that while BusinessDesk’s acknowledgement of a need for a more diverse workforce is laudable,
the current proposal

This would need to be provided prior to
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contracting.
28.  Assessors felt there was

s and considering it will be marked as PIJF.

Funding is recommended,

ACT
THE

Coconet Reporter Training

Tikilounge Productions

$49,324
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

era, freelance
Mihingarangi Forbes
Journalist/ mentor
The Hui, TV3, Māori Television
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Synopsis
29.  This is a single media entity training proposal to upskill three Coconet reporter trainees in kaupapa Pasifika for
factual content for screen.
General Assessment
30.  The application details a five-week training period in which the three reporters work with mentors in both
masterclass form, and with one-on-one sessions. A fourth trainee would be invited to attend masterclasses
INFORMATION
but not take part in the mentor programme.
31.  On the job training will include work experience with

Mentors will take the reporters on a field shoot in their professional
environments to give them an insight into reporting for these TV current affairs shows.
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32.  The training outcomes would include 2 x on-screen new/ current affairs stories produced by each reporter.
33.  The proposal profiles three candidates for the training, all of whom have already demonstrated significant
skills. One won the

Another was a finalist in

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34.  The application submits that on-the-job training with skilled journalist mentors would not be able to happen
without this PIJF opportunity.

Staff Opinion
35.  Assessors were unanimously in favour of this application as they saw it addressed a real need to train Pasifika
journalists.  One assessor commented

36.  This proposal should be seen as career development training.

the high calibre of the candidates demonstrates the proposal has the potential to produce some very
influential journalists.
37.  The cost includes paying the candidates during the training and payment to mentors. The generosity of
mentors to share their skills, (and the skills on offer are considerable) should not be underestimated. Funding
is recommended.

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Current Affairs and Cultural Magazine Mentorship Programme
The Spinoff
$287,310
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

ACT
Synopsis
THE
38.  This is a cross-sector training proposal to pair cadets with an experienced mentor across a group of New
Zealand publications, to be administered by The Spinoff.
General Assessment
39.  This proposal is for a five-month cross-platform mentorship programme for three paid cadetships.
40.  The proposal is a collaboration between The Pantograph Punch, Metro, North & South and New Zealand
Geographic anchored by The Spinoff.
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41.  Each cadet wil  spend four weeks, staggered over the course of the five-month programme at each of the
publications with a mentor working across the placements to manage the cadets.
42.  Additionally, the mentor will organise a series of masterclasses available to the cadets and any other junior to
intermediate staff and contributing freelancers from each of the participating publications to attend. One of
the examples of a proposed masterclass topic was on Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
43.  The mentor wil  work with each candidate to design a bespoke development programme working alongside
them to develop projects assigned by editors.
INFORMATION
44.  The proposal projects that each cadet will produce 1 – 2 major pieces of stewarded content which will be
published and acknowledged as PIJF.
45.  The proposal acknowledges the need to increase the diversity of the journalism workforce and has enlisted
to help in the recruitment process and to provide ongoing pastoral support.
RELEASED
46.

which has produced two journalists who now have ful  time roles. However, it says it
would have liked to have offered both interns mentorship and the scale and collaborative nature of this project
it is proposing is outside of its resources to deliver in-house.
47.  The Spinoff sees the programme as a pilot which could provide a template for future training, and it will deliver
a case-study to NZ On Air to help inform future decision making.
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Staff Opinion
48.  The assessors were generally in favour with one commenting, “I believe something like this is long overdue
and recommend we fund it fully on the condition we see a fully developed mentoring programme at an
appropriate date after the funding of the manager and mentor.”
49.  While the proposal outlines a cultural strategy that states: “…there has been an issue of trust for Māori and
Pasifika people with mainstream media, and we want to ensure this process from the very first touchpoint is
one that wil  be different and that wil  take into account cultural factors”, it doesn’t provide any detail on how
it will achieve this or a commitment to Te Tiriti specifically, which was noted by the assessors.
50.
the masterclasses could provide considerable upskilling for a
range of journalists across the group of publications. The funding of a mentor to oversee the programme wil
ensure quality outcomes. Funding is recommended

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Disability Roadshow

       Attitude Pictures

           $121,420
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

THE  ACT
Synopsis
51.  This is a collaborative media education program involving workshops and internships on a national scale. Led
by Attitude Pictures, this training program would educate journalists in best practice disability rights and
reporting.
General Assessment
52.  There are two parts to this proposal, a series of half-day workshops to be conducted in seven centres around
New Zealand (provisionally Auckland, Hamilton, Bay of Plenty, Palmerston North/New Plymouth Christchurch
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and Dunedin) and one full time role for an emerging journalist who lives with disability.
53.  The intern would be coached in reporting and produce written articles about the disability sector with content
published on attitudelive.com and shared as appropriate with media partners across NZME.
54.  The proposal claims misconceptions about people who live with disabilities are tied to misreporting and a lack
of stories that give voice to this sector. It says in 16 years they know of only one young journalist with a
disability that has been employed full time into a news organisation.
55.

INFORMATION

56.  The proposal claims a minimum of
journalists will be upskilled through the workshops.
57.  The workshops will cover a range of issues to educate journalists in story-tel ing language, empathy and the
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political nuances associated with disability rights and reporting.
58.  Attitude has played a voluntary role in media training over the past 6 years lecturing students

59.  The applicant proposes consultation with the disability sector to establish the workshop frameworks before
the workshops are rol ed out
. The internship would run from

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60.

Staff Opinion
61.  While most assessors were in favour of funding one felt this project might open the door to other interest
groups  and stated,  “It is not journalism and falls within the realm of communications/PR intended to
manipulate news media content.” However, the other assessors commented that it was a wel -outlined series
of workshops that satisfied PIJ criteria.
62.  Attitude is a quality applicant with the ability to produce fair and balanced workshops. Staff does not agree
this application could be considered ‘media manipulation’ and believes that upskilling journalists to provide
better coverage of persons with disabilities (an important s36(c) audience) is a missing area of public interest
journalism and worthy of funding.
63.  While there is a partnership with
mentioned in the proposal, there is no outline of how this partnership
works in practice or how  attendance of the workshops wil  be managed. It is also unclear whether the
workshops are only for
staff. There is also no commitment from
to ensure staff will attend the
OFFICIAL
workshops even if they are funded or how many staff it intends to upskil .

64.  Given the difficulty newsrooms face in having staff attending training programmes, staff posits that a digital
module could be developed to cover those who will invariably fail to show up. Staff will speak to Attitude
ACT
about this further.
THE
65.  If funded, staff will encourage Attitude to generate wider sector buy-in of the workshops given the positive
impact they could have across the industry.
66.  Staff also notes that whilst Attitude spoke to them at the recent PIJF summit about an interest in developing
a stronger kaupapa Māori approach to their work, there is no direct mention of a commitment to Te Tiriti and
what a commitment looks like for this programme of work.
67.  The outline for the workshops is focused and clear, however the plan for the ongoing internship and training
is lacking in important detail. Staff recommends that this work is better scoped out prior to contracting.
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68.  Attitude works tirelessly to address misrepresentation and missing representation of the disability sector in
the media, and this initiative will upskil  the wider sector and deepen the reach of this important PIJF mahi.
Funding is recommended



Newsroom NZ

Newsroom NZ Ltd
                                 $50,610
INFORMATION
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
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69.  This is a single media entity training proposal to upskill Newsroom’s two recently employed graduate
journalists.
General Assessment
70.  This proposal is to provide training in current affairs reporting for two
journalism graduates recently
employed by Newsroom.
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71.
is a
and
has had experience
living and teaching in

72.  The proposal is that the interns would spend an average of one day a week being mentored or tutored and
details a list of Newsroom staff  who will offer mentoring  including

73.
has agreed in principle to short
secondments for the interns to work with
and in return, Newsroom would
be open to reciprocating

74.

75.  Concrete outcomes of the training will include interns building a portfolio of work that includes at least one
long-form written story, one broadcast story (video or audio) and investigative story (or evidence of
contribution to a Newsroom investigation), a broadcast ready podcast for an episode of The Detail, a suite of
multi-platform social media posts, production of Newsroom’s EDM, Week in Review and editing of the
homepage along with a published piece of in-depth court reporting, and a written or broadcast item for

OFFICIAL

76.  The applicant says it has been committed to upskilling reporters for some years,  but the quality of the
mentoring is limited by the work demands of senior staff and PIJF will enable the
required to free up
journalists to provide structured training.
THE  ACT
77.  The applicant states it is their intention to apply for PIJF role funding to employ a Māori or Pasifika journalist
who could be added to the training scheme with little additional cost.
Staff Opinion
78.  The cost of this scheme at
and the potential to cover a third intern puts it at the more cost-
effective end of al  the training schemes proposed (

).
79.  The breadth of training offered in this scheme from investigative reporting to podcast production, radio and
even social media content creation means the interns will have been exposed to every facet of journalism
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under some of the country's best practitioners.
80.  The portfolio each intern will build provides concrete outcomes they will be able to offer as a demonstration
of the skil s they have learned not only to the PIJF but to future employers, and the collaboration with RNZ
provides for a potential skills sharing arrangement that will benefit both organisations.
81.  Newsroom has demonstrated its commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi by reaching outside its organisation to
partner with Māori expertise and one of its interns

INFORMATION
However, it would be good to see a strategy acknowledged within the proposal. Funding is
recommended

Photo Aotearoa
  Kowhai Media Ltd
           $98,256
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Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work



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Synopsis
82.  This is a single media entity training proposal led by Kowhai Media for NZ Geographic. Photojournalists would
be trained via a four-day workshop and a 3-month mentoring programme.
General Assessment
83.  The proposal outlines the collapse of photojournalism in New Zealand

says this decline is echoed across the industry. “It’s like the nation has lost its eyes.”
84.  This proposal would fund a four-day live-in workshop for 20 photojournalists offering both masterclasses and
hands-on projects and assessments and wil  be based on a workshop framework developed by the
international y renowned

85.  The workshop will be run by internationally renowned and award-winning photojournalist
(a
Kiwi who now lives in
).
has run three
and was
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teaching career includes
,

;

at the
;

and

THE  ACT
86.  Open applications wil  be sought through Kowhai Media’s database of
editorial photographers who have
entered the Photographer of the Year in the past 12 years along with the databases of partner media,

87.  This is not a programme for new photojournalists but to hone the skills of existing and emerging practitioners
and the recruitment will look to balance experience of fulltime professionals with those not fully developed.
88.  The applicant seeks to “correct  the  imbalances  of  an  industry  long  dominated  by  Pākehā  practitioners,
predominantly male.” They have set a diversity minimum quota of

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89.  Applicants will be chosen via an online form outlining their experience, interests and an uploaded portfolio of
20 relevant images.
90.  The workshop will be held in Ngāruawāhia and cultural advisors have been engaged to ensure cultural safety
and to provide liaison with
as the photographers move around the vil age working on
assignments. Images from the workshop will be displayed in Ngāruawāhia, New Zealand Geographic and other
media.
INFORMATION
91.  The workshop will be followed with three-month photographer mentoring and speaker sessions uploaded to
NZGeo.com where they will be freely available to the public.
Staff Opinion
92.  This is a highly developed training scheme offering what will likely be a high-quality experience not available
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anywhere else in New Zealand and meeting the needs of a significantly at-risk corner of the journalism sector.
93.  The cost of bringing
is more than made up for by
experience not only as a
top-class  photojournalist but also
deep experience as an educator. Being a New Zealander  who
understands the local sector is also important. This will no doubt be a highly sought-after programme with
long-lasting skills development. Funding is recommended.

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The Pīpī Paopao Project

Aotearoa Media Col ective

       $361,815
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
94.  This is a cross-sector col aboration between Aotearoa Media Col ective and Māori radio stations, with the
support of
. This Te Tiriti Partnership proposal intends to train Māori journalists,
through regional workshops and technical teaching, in order to strengthen indigenous public interest
journalism in Māori communities.
OFFICIAL
General Assessment
95.  The proposal sets up individualised training programmes for groups of iwi radio stations split into eight
regions which will be provided via wānanga in those areas. All 21 iwi radio stations are covered by this
proposal.
THE  ACT
96.  The  3-day  workshops wil  be held in Northland, Auckland, Gisborne,  Whānganui,  Taupo,  Christchurch,
Tuaranga and Wellington.
97.  It is proposed that 100 members of the Iwi radio network will be trained through Pīpī PaoPao over the course
of six months.
98.  The Pīpī PaoPao team have already established the priorities for training in each zone in discussions with the
iwi radio stations and the training requests range from courts and tribal politics to social media writing and
election and budget reporting.
99.  The curriculum for each zone will be led by

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100.
in kind for technical support and
has committed
to including Pīpī Paopao as a component of the MOU between

101.  Trainers committed to the project include

INFORMATION

102.  Those  participating  in  the  wānanga  will  have  their  positions  backfilled by the project with what is called
location fees koha and trainers who will have to take leave from their current roles will receive a trainer fee
to cover their time and loss of income.
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103.  Included in the wānanga wil  be training around how to upload to

104.

105.  Training will cover both te reo Māori and English language reporters with half of the trainers intended to be
bilingual.
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Staff Opinion
106.  This is a training scheme that truly meets the needs of iwi radio because they have col aborated with the
stations to produce it and it meets the criteria of the PIJF. Assessors noted the strength of it being a ‘by Māori,
for Māori’ initiative.
107.  Iwi stations have had little to no opportunity for journalism training and this project is the first of its kind at
this scale and level of collaboration across the sector.
108.  While the range of the training is outlined, there is detail missing in terms of the depth of what the training
will cover. Staff would expect to see detail on this as part of one of the early project drawdowns, once research
has begun.
109.  Assessors were very positive about the calibre of the trainers and their generosity in sharing their skills.
110.  Due to its focus on Iwi radio – this project will be complementary to another cadetship application,

Staff is optimistic that there could be genuine opportunities for
the two initiatives to co-operate and they intend to facilitate this joined-up kōrero if both project are funded
OFFICIAL
to ensure there is no duplication of payment going to cadetships across both schemes.
111.  Considering the complexity of what is being attempted, assessors felt that the costs were reasonable and that
improving the standard of journalism for iwi radio stations in particular will have a positive impact on Māori
communities throughout the country and into the future. Funding is recommended.
ACT

THE
Training: Multi-Lens Journalism

Stuff


$300,800

Synopsis
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112.  This  media entity collaboration proposal is a foundational course for Stuff journalists, shared across the
industry, to fundamentally shift representation in New Zealand media.
General Assessment
113.  This project proposes developing a series of workshops and online training modules to improve how the media
represents all New Zealanders.
114.  The content of the workshops wil  be developed in conjunction with external experts, community
organisations and people with lived experiences.
INFORMATION
115.  It comprises a series of compulsory online training modules to lift the cultural capacity of all existing and future
Stuff staff and will be rolled out to all newsroom staff. The 8’ – 10’ videos and accompanying questionnaire
will be integrated into Stuff’s internal learning hub and induction process.
116.  The online modules will be followed by a series of two-day training workshops to every Stuff newsroom with
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key speakers from the online modules.
117.  A Multi-lens Journalism two-day hui will be a platform for Stuff to share the outcomes of the workshops, online
training and roadshow with other media and media organisations with the aim of producing a joint industry
commitment and statement around how the media wil  better represent the diversity of Aotearoa.

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118.  The modules wil  be developed with external experts including

119.  The modules include: Cultural Safety explained, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the history of colonisation, unconscious
bias, race and racism, gender and sexuality, media and disabilities, ageism, diversity in voices and the role of
te reo Māori, practical protocols in cultural settings.
120.  The training modules and roadshow will be offered to journalism schools and other media at the completion
of the Stuff programme.
121.  A detailed plan and staged approach to the project is included in the application with the first stage due to
start
Roadshows wil  happen
between

122.  A detailed series of success measures is proposed including

OFFICIAL
Staff Opinion
123.  The budget increased between short proposal and ful  proposal submission stage after staff provided feedback
from the assessors that external experts (not just Stuff staff) should ideally be part of the programme to ensure
ACT
its validity and wider sector buy-in. Expert consultation fees are now scoped and included.
THE
124.  This is a ground-breaking proposal that seeks to upskil  the cultural capacity of the country’s largest media
company and then engage the entire sector in taking its lead. While the initial training is focused on the Stuff
workforce, the commitment to share the resources and outcomes with journalism schools and other media
after the initial roll out demonstrates the authenticity of the proposal’s aims.
125.

not counting the likely incalculable outcomes and further reach once the training models are released to
journalism schools and other media.
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126.  Even without this wider sector commitment,
and
the thorough nature of the proposal including compulsory course attendance, means the project should have
a substantial impact for journalists and audiences throughout the country.
127.  This proposal shows significant leadership and strengthens the PIJ intent and position Stuff took last year in
apologising to Māori for past biased reporting. Funding is recommended.

INFORMATION




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THE  ACT

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INFORMATION

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  ATTACHMENTS
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THE  ACT

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INFORMATION
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AGENDA ITEM 5.5

PUBLIC INTEREST JOURNALISM
NZ MEDIA FUND

RECOMMENDATION
That the Board approves funding of up to:
•
$2,419,253 to a newly formed media entity collaboration between NZME, Māori Television, Newshub
and Pacific Media Network and partners for Te Rito Journalism Project (Industry Development), a one-
year programme to  identify,  train,  develop  and  hire  25  cadet  journalists,

•
$806,135 to Newsroom NZ Ltd for The Detail (National Project), 322 x 22’ episodes,

OFFICIAL

Two applications recommended for total funding up to $3,225,388.

BACKGROUND
THE  ACT
1.  In January 2021 Cabinet agreed to draw down $55 mil ion over the next three years (2021 - 2023) from the
tagged contingency set aside by Cabinet for broadcasting initiatives. This funding wil  be administered by NZ On
Air to support the production of public interest journalism including Māori and Iwi journalism that is relevant to
and valued by New Zealanders
2.  General Guidelines for the PIJF were published in April 2021. The principles set out in the Cabinet paper have
informed the design of the Public Interest Journalism Fund (PIJF). NZ On Air col aborated with Te Māngai Pāho
on the design and delivery of the fund.
3.  The PIJF is structured to support journalistic capability across three funding pillars: Projects, Roles and Industry
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Development.

ROUND OVERVIEW
4.  This first round of the PIJF sought applications to the Projects and Industry Development pillars of the fund.
Information for this May/July 2021 funding round outlined the assessment criteria and funding priorities to
applicants.
INFORMATION
5.  NZ On Air earmarked $9.6m to this first funding round and received 122 first-stage applications col ectively
seeking over $50m.
6.  The Projects funding pillar is for tightly defined projects delivered to a deadline, similar to those funded via the
NZ Media Fund Factual stream. This funding round accepted applications across two Project categories:
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a.  National audiences
b.  Local/Regional audiences
7.

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8.  The Industry Development pil ar is an acknowledgement that training, and development are vital to the
delivery of short and medium-term talent gain in the journalism sector. This funding round accepted
applications across the following Industry Development categories:
a.  Cross-sector training/cadetship col aboration between media entities
b.  Training that supports the PIJF goals of encouraging Te Tiriti partnership and education
c.  Training/cadetship collaboration between media entities and journalism courses
d.  Internal training/cadetships specific to a single media entity
e.  Funding for small-scale, targeted initiatives focused on sustainability / innovation.
9.  Applicants were first asked to submit five-page proposals by 13 May 2021, which were individually assessed by
panelists. A hui was then held on 21 May to shortlist proposals. Shortlisted applicants then submitted ful
proposals by 3 June. Fol owing further individual assessment, hui were held on 10 June and 14 June to decide
on the funding recommendations outlined in this paper.
10.  The assessment panel for PIJF: Projects (National) included:
a.

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b.

c.

ACT

THE
d.  Raewyn Rasch (Ngāi Tahu/Samoa) - NZ On Air Head of Journalism. Former General Manager Māori
and Pacific programmes at TVNZ, executive producer of Seven Sharp, producer of Fair Go and Marae
Investigates, TV and radio journalist
e.  Anna Currie - NZ On Air Funding Advisor
11.  The assessment panel for PIJF: Projects (Local/Regional) and Industry Development included:
a.

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b.


c.

INFORMATION
d.

e.  Raewyn Rasch (Ngāi Tahu/Samoa) - NZ On Air Head of Journalism. Former General Manager Māori
and Pacific programmes at TVNZ, executive producer of Seven Sharp, producer of Fair Go and Marae
Investigates, TV and radio journalist
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f.  Anna Currie - NZ On Air Funding Advisor
12.  In determining funding recommendations, alongside the individual merits of each application, the panels also
considered missed opportunities around platform coordination and collaboration in the delivery of large-scale
national schemes. In these instances, assessors declined applications at the first stage in order to address this
issue with the sector directly at the PIJF summit held on 9 June.
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ASSESSMENT
Te Rito Journalism Project
NZME, MTS, Newshub, PMN
  $2,419,253
Key Personnel
Title/s
Synopsis
13. Te Rito is a cross-sector public interest journalism development programme developed using kaupapa Māori
design. This is an Industry Development PIJF application.
14. An entity wil  be formed between the partnership group of NZME, Māori Television, Newshub and Pacific Media
Network and partners to identify, train, develop and then hire 25 journalists.
General Assessment
OFFICIAL
15. This collaboration of four large media networks, along with support from a range of wider media partners seeks
to address the grave need for more Māori, Pasifika and diverse journalists by providing a training programme
that is not available anywhere in Aotearoa currently.
16. The supporting organisations include iwi media, E-Tangata, Te Hiku Media, Attitude Pictures, Umbrella Media,
The  Indian  Weekender,  Pango  Productions,  Sunpix,  Umbrella  Media,  Pasifika  Education  Centre,  Pasifika
THE  ACT
Education Centre, and Samoa Capital Radio. Various letters of support are attached to this application.
17. The 25 cadets would form two cohorts.
would be part of a Te Reo Māori Journalism cohort (Te Rōpū Reo Māori
-
) and the remaining   would be part of a Diverse Voices of Journalism cohort

). Both groups will share a central curriculum and
consistent skil s targets.
18. The programme proposes a team of
funded staff to create, deliver and administer the programme with a new
entity formed between the partnership group set up to run it.
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19. Stage one of the initiative would see
20. The Te Rōpū Reo Māori cohort of
cadets will be made up of both Reo Māori speakers wanting to become
journalists and workplace trainees already employed by Māori media organisations. They will come under the
korowai of Māori Television working in partnership with
Those working in regional media will remain in their role participating in
virtual training where necessary and managed by two full time reo Māori trainers. They may get to travel to
INFORMATION
participate in work placements in partner media for experience.
21. The other  cadets would be based initially at
for news fundamentals training before
rotating through partner locations. Training will be delivered in flexible formats including in-person wānanga,
virtual classrooms, tutorials, one-on-one mentoring and placements. Journalism standards would be based on
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the NZ Media Council and Broadcasting Standards Authority guidelines.
22. The programme will start with a noho marae and orientation week and throughout the programme all cadets will
be brought together to build a core bond of whanaungatanga within the programme.
23. Cadets wil  be paid to do the programme (living wage) and there is a commitment from the scheme to extend an
offer of employment to al  cadets who successful y complete the ful  programme and meet industry standards.
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24.  A comprehensive training framework has been provided and a robust measurement framework will be put in
place to assess both the outcomes for the cadets and for PIJF.

no pre-existing framework especially for te reo Māori
journalism training and once this is developed, future programmes may be more cost-effective to run.
25.
However, staff notes that this scheme also provides the most in-depth training, and the
programme is costed across 18 months.
26.  This proposal outlines the following set up and implementation timings for the programme:

27.

28.  The Te Rito team are confident they can attract 25 cadets and the inclusion of iwi radio should provide a large
OFFICIAL
pool of suitable applicants. They have a strong recruitment scheme planned via their various platforms.
29.  The project has plans to ensure cultural safety for the cadets and pastoral care as per PIJF requirements.
Staff Opinion
30.  All the Industry Development assessors were strongly in favour of funding the application with one
THE  ACT
commenting, “if this is carried out as outlined, it wil  be a major breakthrough in training journalists, one that is
long overdue. It wil  begin to correct the imbalance that has grown as a result of the disappearance of the
practical polytechnic-based journalism training without threatening the viability of the university-based degrees
or post-graduated programmes.”
31.

However, staff note that the context of cadets working within a newsroom is markedly different to students
within a university setting, and the PIJF eligibility assessment criteria states, “Platforms/publishers must show
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how they wil  support funded roles materially, legally, culturally, and emotionally” and the support Te Rito is
offering cadets appears to deliver to this criterion.
32.  This project essential y sets up a new industry-led training entity and while it could be argued that goes beyond
the scope of the PIJF, it could also be argued that the needs and historic disparity of Māori, Pasifika and diverse
journalists’ training could only be met with a scheme of this scale and coordination, and that because there is
no training programme currently offering this type of training, staff believes there is less risk that a project like
this will duplicate or undercut the work of existing training providers.
INFORMATION
33.  Given the co-operation that has been required to get this far, all partner organisations have shown a high level
of commitment right through to committing to hiring cadets at the end of the scheme.
34.

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35.  While it could be argued that cadets taken into the scheme who already have jobs – especially in iwi radio or
Māori Television should continue to be paid by their organisations, their priority will be to their training
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. Cadets wil  produce content during the scheme
and this should acknowledge PIJF.
36.  Staff notes that, if funded, this wil  take the total amount funded in the first PIJF round over the initial $9.6m
available. Staff believes that funding Te Rito in this round is critical based on its scale and the timings required
to kick off planning from the second half of this year to launch the programme in February 2022.

Staff
also notes that all PIJF decisions made by the Board in this round wil  be included in the 2021/22 annual report
due to timing of the decisions.
37.  This is a high-concept, complex collaboration that could provide a blueprint for collaborative on the job training
in the future, and benefit Māori as well as mainstream media. Funding is recommended

The Detail


Newsroom NZ Ltd

     $806,135
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work
OFFICIAL

THE  ACT
Synopsis
38.  The Detail is a daily podcast aimed at a younger audience who accesses content through non-traditional
channels. It is designed to explain the stories behind the headlines and give listeners context, and a deeper
understanding of notable events.
39.  This is a 322 x 22’ podcast series (running 18 months from 2 Aug 2021 - 17 Dec 2021; with a hiatus and then
from 31 Jan 2022 - 16 Dec 2022) by Newsroom NZ Ltd for RNZ. This is a National Projects PIJF application.
General Assessment
UNDER
40.  The Detail has been running for three years and was original y funded under the 2018/2019 one-off additional
govt funding for the NZ On Air/RNZ Innovation Fund. This month it marked its 400th podcast episode.
41.

42.

INFORMATION

43.  The Detail promotes itself as the “news explained”, providing expertise from journalists and experts to help the
audience make sense of the big stories. Audio podcasts are accompanied by text stories available on the RNZ,
Newsroom and Stuff websites.
RELEASED
44.  NZ On Air provided interim funding of 6-months of The Detail for $311,269 in the 2020-10 round. This
shortened time frame was due to the fact that NZ On Air had insufficient baseline funds available to fund a
year-long application. NZ On Air decided in February 2021 that journalism projects funded from baseline
Factual funding (such as The Detail, Regional Media projects and current affairs shows) should come into the
PIJF for future funding to ensure that al  applications were assessed under the same processes and guidelines.
45.  The primary platform distribution is via RNZ with Newsroom and Stuff as third-party distributors and podcast
aggregators including Apple and Spotify. Newsroom has an MOU with RNZ

5
NZ ON AIR BOARD MEETING |13 – 14 JULY 2021 |
CONFIDENTIAL | NZOA FILE REF: GOVERNANCE/ BOARD MEETINGS/ 2021 – 22 JULY | AGENDA ITEM 5.5

A letter of support from RNZ as a
secondary platform covering 2022 has also been provided.
46.

47.

48.

.
Staff Opinion
49.  The reason this application is in front of the Board (given it is seeking <$1m) is because the external assessors
OFFICIAL
were concerned about the expectation set of continued funding for The Detail beyond the two years of the PIJF
and felt this project should be decided at the NZ On Air Board level as they believed it warranted a governance
lens. Assessors felt that given the budget level is close to the >$1m threshold (for Board decisions) paired with
the request for multi-year funding, they were not in a position to provide a definitive recommendation.
ACT
Assessors confirmed that they would be comfortable with this application being funded as long as there was
THE
clear support from the NZ On Air Board.
50.

UNDER

51.  Most assessors acknowledged the podcast had delivered high quality PIJ. One commented, “The Detail is a
successful venture that fits squarely in the public interest journalism frame. Newsroom and Radio NZ, together
with Stuff ensure it has a broad reach. The personnel involved are highly experienced, with proven track records
in broadcasting and podcasting.”
52.  However, assessors pointed to a significant lack of a demonstrated commitment or reference to Te Tiriti
throughout the proposal. This would be confirmed detail sought prior to contracting.
INFORMATION
53.

54.  This is a quality podcast that has delivered over a number of years. Audiences take time to build up and the
continued growth of this podcast is evidence that given time, these types of PIJ projects will build a following.
RELEASED
Funding is recommended

6
NZ ON AIR BOARD MEETING |13 – 14 JULY 2021 |
CONFIDENTIAL | NZOA FILE REF: GOVERNANCE/ BOARD MEETINGS/ 2021 – 22 JULY | AGENDA ITEM 5.5

AGENDA ITEM 2.13
PUBLIC INTEREST JOURNALISM FUND
FUNDING DECISIONS
RECOMMENDATION
That the Staff Investment Committee approves funding up to:
Funding
Applicant
Roles  Timeframe
Subject to
Recommended
$189,660
School Road
1
Two years
Publishing for
Woman
magazine
$273,600
SunPix Ltd for
2
Two years
TP+
OFFICIAL
$150,148
Local Matters
1
Two years
2005 Ltd for
nine local print
publications
ACT
and various
THE
digital news
platforms
$151,200
Crux
1
Two years
Publishing Ltd
for Crux
$427,800
The Spinoff for  2
Two years
The Spinoff
$150,000
Ashburton
1
Two years
Guardian
Company for
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The Ashburton
Guardian
$31,200
Central App
1
One year
for The Central
App
$230,000
North & South  1
Two years
Ltd for North
& South
magazine  INFORMATION
$528,316
Newsroom Ltd  5
Two years
for Newsroom
RELEASED
$711,797
Allied Press
4
Two years
Ltd for The
Otago Daily
Times and
other Allied
Press
properties
STAFF INVESTMENT COMMITTEE MEETING | 6 SEPTEMBER 2021 |
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1

$127,096
Valley Media
1
Two years

for The Valley

Profile

community
newspaper
$183,240
The Gisborne
1
Two years

Herald Co for

The Gisborne

Herald
$47,600
Metro Media
1
Two years

Group Ltd for
(part-

Metro
time)
magazine
$650,000
Mana Trust for  4
Two years

E-Tangata

$705,000
Kiwi Media
4
Two years

Publishing for

The Indian

Weekender
$275,000
National
4
One year

OFFICIAL
Pacific Radio

Trust for the

Pacific Media
Network
$206,000
Television New  2
One year

Zealand for

ACT
TVNZ
THE
$176,200
Te Reo Irirangi  1
Two years

o Te Hiku o Te

Ika for Te Hiku
Radio
$105,000
Very Nice
1
One year

Productions

for NZME and

the Wairarapa
Times-Age
websites
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$774,000
UMA
6.5
One year

Broadcasting

for Radio
Waatea
$695,560
Discovery NZ
3
Two years
a revised and detailed budget, provision of signed
for Newshub

and declines funding of:
INFORMATION
  see Annex A for a list of shortlisted proposals recommended for decline at full proposal stage.

21 shortlisted applications recommended for total funding of up to $6,788,417.
shortlisted applications recommended for decline seeking total funding of

RELEASED

BACKGROUND
In January 2021 Cabinet agreed to draw down $55 million over three years (2021 - 2023) from the tagged contingency
set  aside  by  Cabinet  for  broadcasting  initiatives.  This  funding  will  be  administered  by  NZ  On  Air  to  support  the
production of public interest journalism including Māori and Iwi journalism that is relevant to and valued by New
Zealanders.
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2

1.  General Guidelines for the PIJF were published in April 2021. The principles set out in the Cabinet paper have
informed the design of the Public Interest Journalism Fund (PIJF). NZ On Air collaborated with Te Māngai Pāho
on the design and delivery of the fund.
2.  The PIJF is structured to support journalistic capability across three funding pillars: Projects, Roles and Industry
Development.

ROUND OVERVIEW
3.  This second round of the PIJF sought applications to the Roles pillar of the fund only.
4.  See Annex B for a list of all PIJF: Roles Development applications submitted over the two-stage process.
5.  Role-based funding addresses one of the most fundamental issues facing the sector by seeking to redress the
large reduction within the local journalism workforce in recent years.
6.  The guidelines for the round outlined the assessment criteria and funding priorities to applicants including:
a.  This funding is intended to assist media entities cover areas of public interest journalism that have
become increasingly at-risk due to lack of staff.
OFFICIAL
b.  This  funding  is  not  intended  to  cover  current  positions  or  general  news  positions  (unless  in
exceptional circumstances.) In cases where loss of staff is demonstrably imminent, non-incremental
roles may be funded. In this instance, applicants must be prepared to provide financial information
(including potentially commercial sensitive information) on a confidential basis to be reviewed by
THE  ACT
an appropriate independent assessor.
c.  The intent of this fund is to increase the quantity and quality of public interest journalism. Qualifying
criteria for a funded role are:
i.  Produces  content  within  an  agreed  reporting  subject  scope  (aligned  to  the  General
Guidelines)
ii.  Accredited to the PIJF
iii.  Included in PIJF metrics reporting
iv.  PIJF roles will not be permitted to contribute to general reporting unless this is within the
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subject scope and credited.
v.  Content must be freely accessible and, if behind a paywall or in a magazine with a cover
price, funded content must also be available free of charge online as close to simultaneously
as possible.
vi.  Content output expectations for the role should be established which can be monitored
and reviewed.
7.  The assessment panel included:
INFORMATION




RELEASED





STAFF INVESTMENT COMMITTEE MEETING | 6 SEPTEMBER 2021 |
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3



  Raewyn Rasch (Ngāi Tahu) - NZ On Air Head of Journalism. Former General Manager Māori and
Pacific programmes at TVNZ, executive producer of Seven Sharp, producer of Fair Go and Marae
Investigates, TV and radio journalist.
8.  Conflicts of Interests (COI) are outlined as below. In this instance, the assessor did not assess these
applications, and were not involved in the funding decisions for these applications.


.
did not assess this application.


did not assess any applications from

9.  Additional external assessors were commissioned to undertake further assessment;

OFFICIAL
10. Applicants were asked to submit initial five-page proposals by 22 July that outlined the number, type and cost of
all roles they wanted to apply for.
11. Applicants could apply for up to two years’ worth of funding for a role (subject to performance review monitoring
at key stages to ensure targets are being met before a second year of funding is renewed) to acknowledge the
ACT
challenges of recruitment and retention of experienced staff.  THE
12. A total of   applicants applied for
roles to a total value of

13. Given the large funding request, the assessment panel sought to prioritise roles to those areas of public interest
journalism most affected by retrenchment: those of regional and local news which have faced the most attrition
over recent years and to Māori, Pacific and Asian reporting where lack of equity and increased demand remains
a critical issue.
14. Assessors met on
applicants were invited to submit full proposals by 17 August.
UNDER
15.   submissions for
roles with a total funding request of
were submitted for final assessment.
16.   applications were seeking under $1m and
, although requesting more than $1M has been recommended
for less than $1M and al  are included in this paper.
applications sought over $1m and are in front of the
Board for consideration.
17. Staff is conscious of the distortionary impact that such a significant level of funding could have on the market
and the potential for a ‘talent-poaching war’ to occur if PIJF salary rates inflate market rates arbitrarily. To
mitigate this and contextualise how the broad range of PIJF salary funding requests align with industry pay
INFORMATION
rates, staff calculated the average full-time base salaries (minus Kiwisaver, sick pay, etc.) across bands (junior,
intermediate, and senior) for all roles submitted to full proposal stage. Staff then compared the resulting ‘mid-
points’ to industry-standard journalism base-pay rates sourced from the E Tū Union.
Banding
PIJF % Request
PIJF Average
Industry Average
Junior
5%
$45,785
$47,000
RELEASED
Intermediate
60%
$71,193
$60,000 - $65,000*
Senior
35%
$89,039
$72,000 - $100,000**
* Television Journalist average pay is $80,000
** Television Journalist average pay is $82,000 - $123,000
18. In line with these figures, some funding recommendations will be less than the requested amounts and hence
why most recommendations are subject to a ‘confirmed revised budget’.
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19. All funding offers in this round will be contingent on the provision of signed employment contracts to ensure
roles have been fulfilled and if role recruitment cannot be confirmed by
then any unutilised
funding will be returned to the PIJF and reapplied in the final funding round of the financial year.
20. In order to manage this process from a contracting perspective, successful applicants will have the option of two
potential  contract  initiation  deadlines.  Applicants  who  are  in  a  position  to  fulfil  roles  shortly  after  funding
decisions are announced will be able to initiate their contracts for those confirmed roles, with any remaining
roles that require a longer recruitment period having until that final January 14th cut-off date to be finalised.
21. There were a wide variety of associated costs against roles in most proposals. Staff isolated costs for each
proposal to establish average bands across the entire round to ensure equity across all proposals and alerted
assessors where costs exceeded these averages. Figures below reflect the average associated costs for
recommend roles.
Associated Cost Per role
Average Cost Y1
Average Cost Y2
Communications
$915
$775
Travel
$3,569
$3,443
OFFICIAL
Equipment
$3,874
$1,076

22. One application being considered at the full proposal stage from Stuff includes 11 non-incremental roles
Due to the complex nature of these requests and the
ACT
additional time required to analyse the detailed financial information provided, this application was not
THE
considered by the assessment panel at the full proposal stage and has been analysed by
These
roles will be considered by the Board at the September hui.

GENERAL ASSESSMENT & STAFF OPINION
Woman Magazine                    School Road Publishing                             Requested $389,820
Synopsis
23.  School Road Publishing produce Woman magazine and is applying for 2 roles; a women’s social issues writer
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and a Māori and Pasifika Arts and Culture Writer to share more important New Zealand stories.
Role
Outputs
Salary p.a.
Est. Associated
costs p.a.
Womens Social issues writer
1 feature per issue (26 stories)

$12,580
Māori and Pasifika Arts and Culture Writer  1 feature per issue (26 stories)

$9,830
Costs

$22,410
Platform Contribution

$25,000
INFORMATION
General Assessment
24.  School  Road  Publishing  is  led  by  Sido  Kitchen  who  is  a  veteran  of  the  magazine  world  having  produced
Woman’s Day and New Zealand Women’s Weekly and was Editorial Director of mass market women’s titles at
Bauer Media until its abrupt closure in April 2020.
RELEASED
25.  Launched 10 months ago in the middle of the pandemic, Woman is a fortnightly Kiwi magazine targeting NZ
women and is one of four titles established by School Road Publishing following the collapse of Bauer media
in 2020.
26.  It is pitched as a relatable and reliable source of information and inspiration produced by Kiwi women, about
Kiwi women, for Kiwi women. It has an online version and a content sharing arrangement with Stuff.
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27.  In 10 months, Woman has averaged a circulation of
. The study

, with a nationally represented sample, showed
Woman was read by
of those surveyed.


28.  Woman magazine uses te reo Māori headings and content under the guidance of

and has undertaken a number of covers including a large pull out Matariki cover focused on
wāhine Māori.
29.  Woman has a current total of
full-time writers relying heavily on freelance writers and says this reliance
is not viable long term given limited advertising revenue. It is seeking to hire a senior investigative journalist
to focus on social issues affecting NZ women and a Māori and Pasifika Arts and Culture Writer who would
provide in-depth focus on Māori and Pasifika the issues including arts and culture.
30.  Both roles were expected to produce a feature for every issue (minimum of 26 features per year) with the
magazine covering all photography, video, travel and accommodation costs for the features.
31.  The budget for both roles (at between
) were at the upper range of the salary band average.
In-kind contributions of
of associated costs will be contributed by School Road Publishing.
OFFICIAL
Staff Opinion
32. The  assessment  panel  considered  Woman  magazine  was  providing  valuable  public  interest  journalism  to  a
female audience and was unique in its delivery of content to, and about, wāhine Māori.
ACT
33. Assessors noted this type of content was an important contribution to inclusion of Māori women’s content at a
THE
mainstream level.

Assessors noted the PIJF wanted to
encourage publishers to look beyond
in ensuring minority groups had equity coverage and wanted
to support this publisher to continue as it has started.
34. Assessors  felt  supporting  the  Māori  role  would  provide  additional  in-depth  coverage  of  wāhine  issues  not
provided elsewhere and the involvement of
within the publication would ensure this role was
well-supported.
UNDER
35. Supporting  the  Māori  role  is  in  line  with  the  funding  priorities  established  by  the  assessment  panel  in  the
shortlisting of this round that sought to prioritise regional and local news, Māori, Pacific and Asian reporting
roles.
36. In line with the Round Criteria, the applicant will need to confirm content written by the funded role will be
made freely accessible online, as close to simultaneously as possible, when the content is published for sale in
its print magazine.
INFORMATION
37.  The Women’s Social Issues investigative journalist, while supported by the assessment panel, was felt to be a
lower priority in this round due to its specialist nature.
38. Funding  of  up  to  $189,660  (including  up  to
  for  approved  associated  costs)  across  two  years  is
recommended for the Māori and Pasifika Arts and Culture Writer,

RELEASED

STAFF INVESTMENT COMMITTEE MEETING | 6 SEPTEMBER 2021 |
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6

TP +                                                        Sunpix Ltd
  Requested $372,000
Synopsis
39.  Sunpix has produced Tagata Pasifika, a weekly 23-minute TV show on TVNZ funded by NZ On Air since 1987,
and since 2016 it has also managed the digital platform TP+. This proposal would support the development of
this digital platform by funding three digital text-based journalism roles.
Role
Outputs
Salary p.a.
Est Associated
costs p.a.
Editor Senior Journalist
Support two junior reporters + produce content

Junior journalist
Longform story 1 per month

Junior journalist
Short form – weekly output

Costs p.a.

Platform Contribution p.a.

General Assessment
40.  TP+ is a digital platform, self-funded by SunPix Ltd, which was originally created to broadcast Tagata Pasifika
OFFICIAL
video content online. Since its launch in 2016, TP+ has grown to produce and house content beyond Tagata
Pasifika television stories. This content includes TP+ video stories and TP+ written stories. The TP+ producer
also re-posts key Pasifika stories carried by other media to the social media such as

ACT
41.  Sunpix contends that there is an opportunity to serve more Pasifika audience, with text-based journalism
THE
attracting as much audience as video in their estimation.

42.  The proposal contends that the Pasifika audience largely uses mobile devices but access to and data costs
can impact on the viewing of video, making a text-based format more accessible. Increasing text-based
journalism will also increase the ability to produce content from regional areas without the constraints of
having to travel film crew.
43.  Sunpix is requesting funding for one senior and two junior roles to support and develop more text-based
content. All roles will have measurable content outcomes and the company believes supporting two junior
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journalists will help increase the small number of Pasifika journalists in text-based media currently. Sunpix
has senior Pasifika journalists capable of supporting the requested roles.
Staff Opinion
44.  There is no doubt that Tagata Pasifika has been an important part of the Pasifika media landscape for more
than 30 years
Further
development of the TP+ platform meets the sustainability goals of the PIJF. It also provides an ability to provide
enhanced content outcomes for the Pasifika audience not constrained by the television programme format,
INFORMATION
weekly schedule or cost of video content.
45.  Current funding for Sunpix is focused on the production of Tagata Pasifika through video journalism and does
not cover text-based journalism. The employment of three journalists focused on text-based outcomes for the
TP+ site will provide content that is more accessible on mobile and other social media formats at a far reduced
RELEASED
cost compared to video content that requires film crew and equipment and production time. It will also al ow
TP+ to  respond  quickly  to breaking events  along with  the  opportunity to  do more  in  depth  and  longform
reporting.
46.  While the proposal explained the rationale behind the roles well, Staff felt the content outcomes were not
well defined and a more detailed content plan would need to be delivered that provided measurable content
outcome targets.
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47.  Assessors were generally in favour of the proposal, however felt that the balance of one senior role to one
junior would reduce the amount of supervision required and increase the content outcomes of the senior role.
Requested salary and costings were in line or slightly under industry and PIJF averages.
48.  Expanding  Pasifika  journalism  into  text-based  is  an  important  step,  this  proposal  would  see  TP+  stepping
towards becoming a more sustainable platform delivering to a priority Pasifika audience.
49.  Funding  of  up  to  $273,600  (including  up  to
  for  approved  associated  costs)  across  two  years  is
recommended for the Editor / senior journalist and one junior journalist,

Auckland Council Reporter
  Local Matters 2005 Ltd                                        $150,148
Synopsis
50.  This is a proposal by Local Matters 2005 Ltd on behalf of six publishers, nine printed publications and various
digital  news  platforms,  to  provide  a  collaborative  local  government  reporting  hub  ‘The  Auckland  Council
Reporter Project’
OFFICIAL
Role
Outputs
Salary p.a.
Est. Associated
costs p.a.
Mid-grade journalist
Outputs not defined

Platform Contribution

THE  ACT
General Assessment
51.  The publications covered by this application cover the wider Auckland region with some up to 60kms from
Auckland City. The small newsrooms are not able to resource having a reporter at the Auckland City Council
meetings to represent their communities and this proposal provides a hub that will serve them all by
employing a shared mid-grade journalist.
52.  In 2010, seven district councils plus the Auckland Regional Council were amalgamated to form Auckland
Council, which is made up of 13 wards and 21 local boards, plus four substantive Council Controlled
Organisations (Auckland Transport, Watercare, Panuku Development Auckland and Auckland Unlimited). The
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change had a profound effect on the ability of local newspapers to effectively cover local body affairs, not
only due to the sheer size of the new entity, but also because much of the decision-making transferred from
the regions to the city centre. The applicant argues these changes have had a detrimental effect on how
local newsrooms can uphold their role of holding power to account when they are not able to attend
meetings and provide scrutiny.
53.  The collective would have an estimated combined distribution of 143,650 and are all members of the NZ
Community Newspapers Association. The publications include, The Rangitoto Observer, Devonport Flagstaff,
INFORMATION
The Gulf News, Waiheke, Beacon Community News (Western Suburbs), The Howick & Pakuranga Times,
Botany & Ormiston Times, Pohutukawa Coast Times, Mahurangi Matters and Hibiscus Matters.
54.  The role would be contracted via Local Matters 2005 Ltd on behalf of the hub via a content sharing
agreement outlined in a memorandum of understanding (a draft MOU was provided in the proposal.) A
specific bank account will be used solely for the administration of the role. A steering committee of

RELEASED
(yet to be appointed) would oversee the running of the hub to ensure the needs of each publication are met.
55.  The Auckland City Council Reporter will be home-based in Auckland city and cover Auckland Council and
other local body and committee meetings, identifying items of interest to the hub partners and writing
stories they indicate are of interest. A detailed job description was provided by the applicant.
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56.  In a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the proposal would also encourage engagement with the Auckland
Independent Māori Statutory Board to ensure its perspective on important issues is represented in stories
which the applicants say would be a new approach for many of the publications.
57.  The applicant is confident that if the hub proves to be a success, the combined resources of the collective
would be able to ensure the project continues past the initial two-year funding.
Staff Opinion
58. Assessors were unanimously in favour of this proposal, saying it would provide core public interest journalism
and local government reporting especially for local and regional audiences. The project was also seen as an
excellent example of collaboration to ensure efficiency of public money spending.
59.

The applicant has provided the draft MOU as evidence of
steps towards providing a dispute resolution process and a three-member steering committee will be set up to
handle the running of the project.
60. Due to the large number of publications, and variety of platforms, setting and monitoring content outcomes will
be difficult but the requirement for members to provide statistics to NZ On Air is noted in the draft MOU. Staff
OFFICIAL
believes it is in the best interests of the hub for reporter output to be tracked and that a monitoring system can
be instituted. A measurable content outcome plan will be a condition of funding.
61. The salary request for this role is in-line with industry expectations as are costs associated with the role.
ACT
62. This  is  a  cost-effective  proposal  for  small  community  papers  to  provide  strong  local  government  coverage
THE
supporting vital public interest journalism.
63. Funding of up to $150,148 (including up to
for approved associated costs) across two years is
recommended for this role,

Crux.                                              Crux Publishing Ltd.                           Requested

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Synopsis
64.  This is an application from Crux Publishing Ltd for a senior journalist and an intermediate journalist, to increase
local news coverage on its online news platform, covering the Southern Lakes and Central Otago.
Role
Outputs
Salary pa
Est. Associated costs
p.a
Senior Journalist
TBC

Community Reporter
TBC

(Intermediate Journalist)
Costs
INFORMATION

Platform Contribution

p.a.

General Assessment
RELEASED
65.  Crux was launched in May 2018 using a community funding model to avoid traditional advertising. It is run
by a not-for-profit trust and takes donations. The only advertising on the site is in the form of selected
content partnerships.
66.  The website reaches between
of the local population (40,000 population) each week with up
to
on social media each week.
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67.  It is currently staffed by one senior journalist/editor and

The senior role is currently filled by
.

if a new senior journalist is funded.
68.  To date, Crux

, but it now wants to expand on news coverage and public interest
journalism.
69.  The application prioritises funding for a senior news editor/reporter, but also includes a budgeted request
for an intermediate reporter.
Staff Opinion
70. The assessment panel noted that Crux is providing a good service to the local community in terms of quality local
journalism, and that increasing staffing would allow it to expand that service further.
71. The assessors felt that because the senior role is currently filled by
aims to move into a
different role, the senior journalist role is not incremental and not tied to an increase in content. Therefore, the
panel does not recommend funding that role.
OFFICIAL
72. The assessors felt that the community reporter / intermediate journalist could contribute extra content that
would support the aims of the PIJF, increasing coverage of local news events and issues. However measurable
content outcomes are not defined for this role and would need to be agreed prior to contracting.
73. The role would be well supported, under the guidance of a senior editor with a good track record in the region.
THE  ACT
74. The salary request for this role is in-line with industry expectations as are costs associated with the role.
75.  Funding of up to $151,200 (including up to
for approved associated costs) across two years is
recommended for the Community reporter / intermediate journalist role,

The Spinoff                                                   The Spinoff
Requested

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Synopsis
76.  This application from the online news magazine The Spinoff is for funding for a variety of roles to support and
increase a broader range of content, as outlined below.
Role
Outputs
Salary p.a.
Est associated
costs p.a.
Māori Politics reporter
80 X 800 – 1,200-word pieces per year, 4 X 3,000 –

INFORMATION
4,000-word longform features
Pacific Communities Editor  Editing 30 X 1000 – 1200-word pieces, writing 40 X

1000 – 1200-word pieces, 5 X 3000 – 5000-word
long form features
Disabilities editor .4 FTE
Editing 10 X 1000 – 1200-word pieces, editing 3 long

form, writing short and 2 long form features
RELEASED

Costs pa

Platform Contribution p.a.

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General Assessment
77.  The Spinoff website reaches more than
every month. The average Spinoff article receives
more than
unique reads and the average time spent reading is around
.
78.  The Spinoff pitches itself as an entirely New Zealand focused service. It is owned by its leaders and senior
staff and keeps advertising low, with sections sponsored by advertising partners. The guiding principle is that
less content created with more care serves the audience better than a high-volume approach.
79.  The Spinoff has content sharing relationships with the New Zealand Herald, RNZ, BusinessDesk and
Interest.co.nz and outputs from these roles would be shared as part of those agreements.
80.  Five roles have been suggested as part of this application: A Māori politics reporter would provide news and
current affairs content including analysis focused on Māori politics; a Pacific communities editor would
commission edit and work on stories focused on Pasifika communities in New Zealand;

OFFICIAL
81.  The Spinoff points out that all these areas of reporting are underserved currently and that it does not have the
budget currently to fund these roles itself.
Staff Opinion
82. The assessment panel agrees with the need to increase reporting in all these areas, but due to the large number
ACT
of applications for this round,

THE

83. A Māori politics reporter delivers important by and for Māori journalism and will add depth to Māori political
reporting in the mainstream media, which there is a scarcity of.
84. The Pasifika audience is similarly underserved and underrepresented in terms of news and current affairs and
assessors felt this proposal would address that. With The Spinoff’s younger and Auckland focused audience,
the assessment panel felt that it was a strong environment for Pasifika role funding.
85. Sustainability of these two roles past the first two years is important and assessors noted that the application
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has shown consideration of that, stating that two years will give the organisation’s funding and commercial
team time to develop plans for the continuation of the role.
86. Content outcomes are well defined and significant and should form the basis of a confirmed minimum output
agreement.
87. The salary request for the roles is in-line with industry expectations as are costs associated with the roles.
88.  Funding is recommended for the Māori Politics reporter and the Pacific Communities editor up to $427,800
INFORMATION
(including up to
for approved associated costs) across two years,

RELEASED
Ashburton Guardian                      Ashburton Guardian Company         Requested

Synopsis
89.  The Ashburton Guardian is requesting two roles to support rural and video journalism for the mid-Canterbury
region.
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Role
Outputs
Salary p.a.
Est associated
costs p.a.
Rural Content Editor
TBC
$75,000
0


Platform Contribution

General Assessment
90.  The Ashburton Guardian is one of only a handful of privately owned regional news publishers in the country.
For 142 years it has served the mid-Canterbury region remaining in the ownership of the same family. It
produces a tri-weekly newspaper along with a website, dedicated app and monthly farming publication.
91.  Like most publishers around the country, the Ashburton Guardian

This comes at a time when issues within the rural sector are becoming more
complex and higher profile, such as climate change, water and land use and intensive farming techniques.
OFFICIAL
92.  The Ashburton Guardian has content sharing agreements with

so content provided by the Rural Content Editor could contribute to a
national discussion of rural issues and be shared by other publications.
93.

ACT

THE

94.  To meet the criteria that all funded content should be freely available, the Ashburton Guardian will make all
content from the role available on its website and app and in front of its digital paywall.
95.  In regard to a commitment to Te Tiriti,

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has committed to driving change in this area by
developing connections with Māori partners especially
to ensure that Māori views are heard.
96.  The salary request for the Rural Content Editor role is in-line with industry expectations and round averages
as are costs associated with the role.
97.  The Ashburton Guardian also applied for a
, however this role was considered
less of a priority in this round by the assessment panel.
INFORMATION
Staff Opinion
98.  The assessment team saw the strong need for the Rural Content Editor role within a rural publication such as
the Ashburton Guardian and while the role uses the title of Editor, the panel was confident it was essentially
a reporter role with measurable content outcomes. They felt the importance of this role to regional and local
RELEASED
reporting brought it into the priority category for this round.
99.  Content deliverables will need to be confirmed prior to contracting.
100.  Funding of up to $150,000 over two years is therefore recommended for the Rural Content Editor subject to

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Central App                                                      Central App                                             $31,200
Synopsis
The  Central  App  seeks  to  appoint  a  Local  Government  reporter  part-time  to  provide  coverage  of  the  Cromwel
Community Board.
Role
Outputs
Salary p.a.
Est associated
costs p.a.
Local Government
At least two main stories and two or three briefs from

reporter part/time
each Community Board meeting, with different
angles/briefs shared between outlets ensuring as
fresh as possible content for all. Two or three strong
news stories from the full council meeting.
Platform Contribution

General Assessment
101.  The Central App, established in 2016, is a privately owned news app based in Alexandra providing hyper-
local coverage of the Central Otago area.

OFFICIAL

102.  It services the unique Central Otago district, New Zealand’s most inland region covering an area of 9.969km2.
With four electoral wards covering one of the lowest population densities per square kilometre in the
country providing consistent local government reporting has become difficult. The proposal points out, “No
ACT
newsroom today can afford to send journalists on a nearly 200km journey to cover a meeting that may only
THE
generate one story. Sadly, that story may have been the only local news for the month, for that community.”
103.  Community feedback around the lack of information regarding local government activity and decision-
making and operations led to a public interest journalism project started in Cromwell in 2020 by Connect
Cromwell, a Department of Internal Affairs – Community-Led Development (CLD) Group. Connect Cromwell
funded a Communications web site but now wants to see the responsibility move to an established publisher
– The Central App.
104.  The Central App currently has an editorial team of one fulltime digital editor and a part time feature writer
and is unable to support a local government reporter without additional funding. It believes with time and
UNDER
the app’s current growth; it will be able to sustain a third member of the editorial team long term.
105.  The role would be employed on a contract basis

This includes coverage of five monthly meetings throughout the
region across 11 months of the year, travel, research and story compilation, distribution and monitoring,
photography, filing and additional coverage for council activity such as by-elections, important planning
hearings, regional council coverage etc.
INFORMATION
106.  Content would be freely available through its app and website and shared with

(a letter of
support was included in the proposal). Content would also be shared with

Central App says it will also offer coverage to

RELEASED
107.  The Central App says it has an existing commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and te Reo Māori and has offered
a free weekly Te Reo course since October 2020.
Staff Opinion
108.  The funding request for this role is small compared to the impact consistent local government coverage could
have in this uniquely spread-out community.
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109.  Assessors wondered whether this coverage could be included in the Local Government Reporting scheme,
however

110.  As with most daily news roles, it is hard to predict content outcomes, but minimum content deliverables
will need to be established to allow contracting to be completed.
111.  This application provides a future-focused local solution for an isolated community meeting the criteria of
the PIJF.
112.  Funding for up to $31,200 for one year is recommended for one mid-range journalist subject to

North & South                                North & South Ltd.                        Requested $247,220
Synopsis
OFFICIAL
113.  North and South magazine is seeking funding for a full time South Island correspondent.
Role
Outputs
Salary p.a.
Est. Associated
costs p.a.
South Island
8 feature stories per year

ACT
Correspondent
THE
Platform Contribution

General Assessment
114.  North & South has

115.

UNDER

116.  North & South is asking for funding for a South Island correspondent, a mid-level or senior journalist who
would cover issues relating to the South Island but of national significance.
117.  The application points to a lack of reporters in the South, particularly outside of Christchurch, and says North
& South’s original goal, as per the name, was to cover issues from across the country.
118.  In its application North & South highlights its renewed commitment to Te Tiriti, in the form of regular
INFORMATION
features by Māori journalists and highlighting important issues within te ao Māori.
119.  North & South has also put in a joint application with Newsroom for a Māori editor, which is also
recommended for funding in this round and is outlined below.
Staff Opinion
RELEASED
120.  Assessors unanimously supported this application, saying it was a good proposal to lift South Island issues
into the national view.
121.  Requested salary and costings were in line with industry average and round averages.
122.  Even with the other proposed roles within this round, assessors felt that the South Island is underserved
when it comes to reporter numbers, and current affairs reporters in particular.
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123.  North & South has a proven track record of in-depth reporting and public interest journalism, reflecting the
aims of the PIJF.
124.

Given NZ on Air’s eligibility criteria that content ‘must also be available free of charge as close to
simultaneously as possible in a readily available online location,’ this would need to be confirmed prior to
contracting.
125.  The assessors felt the overall costs of this proposal were high and above the round cost averages and so
recommended funding does not include

126.  Funding is recommended up to $230,000 (including up to
for approved associated costs) across
two years for this role,

OFFICIAL
Newsroom

Newsroom Ltd                                 Requested $843,623
Synopsis
127.  The Newsroom website has put in in application in two parts – the first a joint application with North and
ACT
South for two Māori reporting roles, and the second part a South Island network of writers just for Newsroom.
THE
Role
Outputs
Salary p.a.
Est. Associated
costs p.a.
Māori editor
Outputs not defined

Māori journalist
Outputs not defined

South Island network Writer part-time
Approx. 30 stories / year

South Island network co-ordinator/ writer
Approx. 30 stories / year

part-time

UNDER
South Island subeditor/writer
Approx. 30 stories / year

South Island network Writer part-time
Approx. 30 stories / year

Platform Contribution p.a.

General Assessment
INFORMATION
128.  Newsroom and North & South have proposed funding for a Māori unit, comprising a senior editor and a
more junior reporter. The unit would lead coverage of te ao Māori across both titles.
129.  Separately, Newsroom has applied for funding for a South Island unit of part time roles and freelancers.
These reporters would be spread out across the South Island and complement the one South Island staff
RELEASED
member Newsroom currently has, in Christchurch.
130.  The proposal estimates these four writers could produce about 2-3 pieces per month, around 30 each per
year. These would mostly be news features, aiming to break new stories or angles and add local context to
national stories.
131.  Newsroom has content sharing agreements with Stuff, RNZ, The Greymouth Star and MSN and any outputs
would be made available for their platforms.
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132.

The proposal has
in associated staffing costs per year but
has no breakdown of what those costs would be.

Staff Opinion
133.  Both North & South and Newsroom have shown strong commitments to public interest journalism, and the
assessment panel thought both these proposals show commitment to the PIJF principles.
134.  Māori issues reporting is seen as a gap in Newsroom’s and North & South’s editorial offerings. There does
seem to be a strong commitment to addressing that with this unit, and the infrastructure is there to support
the roles.
135.  The South Island unit was seen as important in filling a perceived PIJ gap. One assessor commented that this
unit would be an “expansion of a quality website that is exposing readers to material not seen elsewhere.”
OFFICIAL
136.  Once again, the assessors saw a need for more reporters in the South Island and more coverage of South
Island news and current affairs in national media. This proposal has a clear intention to do that, and
Newsroom has the infrastructure to support the extra roles.
137.

ACT
The proposal suggests that only funding one reporter would not be setting up for success, but given
THE
there is an existing newsroom to support, and the role is a senior one, assessors felt that one senior
journalist could make a positive impact.
138.

139.  Staff calculated a

140.  Funding of up to $528,316 (including up to
for approved associated costs) is recommended for the
UNDER
four part-time South Island roles and the Māori editor,

agreement.
Allied Press                                                       Al ied Press Ltd                       Requested

INFORMATION
Synopsis
141.  Allied Press has applied to fund 5 journalism roles covering court reporting and southern issues.
Role
Outputs
Salary p.a.
E.A Costs p.a

RELEASED
Southern issues
TBC

Court reporter
TBC

Court reporter
TBC

Court reporter (central)
TBC

Platform Contribution

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General Assessment
142.

Following shortlisting, the applicant reviewed
its proposal in line with the assessment team’s priorities and limited the request to t

143.  The court reporting roles would fill gaps created last year when

The
requested roles would cover the Queenstown, Alexandra and Oamaru courts and the daily court lists from
Dunedin and Invercargill and Gore. These reporters will be in addition to the 1.6 FTE specialist court
reporters Allied still has in Dunedin and general reporters covering court in Invercargill and Greymouth.
144.  The court reporting roles will provide collaborative coverage to the NZME/RNZ Open Justice court reporting
proposal, which is in front of the Board for consideration in this round. It is noted that Allied Press already
has a content sharing arrangement with NZME. Court reporting was identified as a considerable gap in public
interest journalism. Assessor
and told the panel the lack
OFFICIAL
of court reporting had been raised as a serious concern within the justice system impinging the core
principle that justice must be seen to be done. Allied Press also applied for

While assessors accepted these roles fit the criteria and priority of this
ACT
round, they felt due to funding constraints
could be funded at this time.
THE
145.  In round 1, Allied Press received $675,000 (an increase of $275,000) for the returning The South Today
project which provides video journalism around the West Coast and southern South Island.
Staff Opinion
146.

147.  The court reporting roles provide an important collaboration with the NZME/RNZ Open Justice scheme and
UNDER
ensure it can provide a nationwide network. They also provide important public interest journalism and
being connected to the nationwide network will ensure national trends and issues stories reflect southern
perspectives and experiences.
148.  Provision of one Southern Issues reporter will enable Allied Press to provide in-depth coverage not currently
provided by any other media for communities in the south of the South Island.
149.  Minimum content deliverables will need to be established to allow contracting to be completed.
INFORMATION
150.  All associated costs were granted as they were considered by staff to be in line with the scope and size of the
roles.
151.  Funding is recommended up to $711,797 (including
for associated costs) over two years for the
following roles: 3 Court reporters and 1 Southern Issues reporter. The funding is subject to

RELEASED

Valley Profile                                 The Valley Media
Requested

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Synopsis
152.  An  application  for  one  reporter  to  produce  PIJF  for  The  Valley  Profile  which  is  a  free,  weekly  community
newspaper covering local community news and events throughout the Thames Valley region.
Role
Outputs
Salary p.a.
E.A Costs p.a
Reporter
6 – 10 stories a week

Platform Contribution

p.a.

General Assessment
153.  The Valley Profile is a locally owned and operated free weekly community newspaper, published every
Wednesday.

154.  The Valley Profile is also currently offered online, both as a digital edition pdf and in blog form at
https://www.valleyprofile.co.nz/.

OFFICIAL

155.  Valley Media currently has one full-time journalist and one full-time editor (who also writes) along with
contract contributors.
156.  Funding of an additional journalist will allow the Valley Profile to provide consistent local government
ACT
coverage by reporters that live in the area.
THE
157.  Valley Media says it is committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and has built relationships with local Iwi,

to ensure Māori issues are
well covered.
Staff Opinion
158.  Assessors felt this application came from an experienced journalist
with good content and good
hyperlocal coverage.
159.  Valley Media are already looking to diversify, and the proposed
could increase income streams to
UNDER
support the funded role into the future.
160.  Associated costs were deemed appropriate to the scope and scale of the role
161.  Funding is recommended up to $127,096 (including up to
for approved associated costs) across two
years

INFORMATION
The Gisborne Herald                                     Gisborne Herald Co                                                             $183,240
Synopsis
162.  The Gisborne Herald is seeking funding for one role, that of a kaupapa Māori reporter.
RELEASED
Role
Outputs
Salary p.a.
E.A Costs p.a
Kaupapa Māori reporter
To be defined

Platform Contribution

p.a.

General Assessment
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163.  The Gisborne Herald is an independently owned daily newspaper in an area where 53% of the population is
of Māori descent. In Wairoa, where it publishes an associated bi-weekly publication The Wairoa Star, 67% of
the local population are of Māori descent.
164.

165.  In order to meet cultural support criteria, The Gisborne Herald has contacted a local kuia who has expressed
interest in becoming a cultural adviser for the kaupapa Māori reporter. The Gisborne Herald and Wairoa Star
have established a long-standing relationship with hapū and iwi of the region. In what is now a mostly post-
settlement era of steadily building whānau, hapū and iwi success in this region, a reinvigoration of kaupapa
Māori journalism at The Gisborne Herald will support further development of these relationships.
166.  The Gisborne Herald has a content-sharing arrangement with

who is supportive of
this application. Initial discussions have also been held with local iwi radio station

OFFICIAL

167.  The Gisborne Herald suggests that strong quality Māori journalism and better engagement with its large
Māori audience will be important to the publication, and it is committed to retaining the funded role beyond
the PIJF funding timeframe.
ACT
Staff Opinion
THE
168.  Assessors were unanimously in favour of this application although some questioned whether the role was
incremental
Given that technically the
role is not in the current workforce and due to its importance in providing public interest journalism to a large
priority Māori audience, assessors agreed the role could be defined as incremental.
169.  The applicant has revised the cultural support afforded the role following discussions with staff and to meet
PIJF criteria which is positive.

UNDER

170.  Requested salary and costings were in line with industry average and round averages. As with most daily
news roles, it is hard to predict content outcomes, but content deliverables will need to be established to
allow contracting to be completed.
171.  Funding is therefore recommended up to $183,240 (including up to
for approved associated costs)
across two years subject to

INFORMATION

Metro Media Group Ltd

Metro Magazine
$47,600
Synopsis
RELEASED
172.  Metro magazine has applied for funding to employ
as a part time Māori reporter/editor.
would write and commission columns, identify and mentor new Māori contributors and coordinate with Māori
media platforms to further share their work.

Role
Outputs
Salary p.a.
E.A Costs p.a
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Part time Māori Editor
4 X 800 – 1000-word features

Editing 4 x 800 – 1000-word feature column
Platform Contribution

General Assessment
173.  Metro is an Auckland-focused magazine

174.


175.  Metro is applying for funding for a part time Māori reporter/editor, with a goal of having more Māori telling
more Māori stories.
176.  The application states the magazine intends to employ
. He is an established
journalist, author and commentator

OFFICIAL
177.  While Metro is a newsstand magazine, al  content will be made freely available simultaneously online.
178.

Staff Opinion
THE  ACT
179.  The assessment panel commented that Metro has a long history of commitment to public interest

journalism and a commitment to in-depth reporting.
180.  This application shows a commitment to strengthening Māori journalism in Metro, and in particular

to increasing the amount of content written by and for Māori. Sourcing and mentoring other Māori

contributors is explicitly part of the role.
181.



UNDER
182.  The assessment panel gave this proposal a unanimous yes, with one pointing out it makes a "good

contribution to the PIJF for a relatively small cost".
183.  All associated costs were granted as they were considered by staff to be in line with the scope and size of
the roles.
184.  Funding is therefore recommended up to $47,600 (including
in associated costs) over two years
subject to

INFORMATION

Mana Trust
  E-Tangata                                       $650,000
Synopsis
RELEASED
185.  The Mana Trust requests funding for four roles to help build and strengthen its capacity to produce the online
publication, E-Tangata.

Role
Outputs
Salary p.a.
Est. Associated
costs p.a.
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Senior Writer-editor
1-2 longform pieces per month along with PIJF-

tagged pieces written by others but edited by the
writer-editor
Senior writer-editor
1-2 longform pieces per month along with PIJF-

tagged pieces written by others but edited by the
writer-editor
Regional writer mid to
1-2 longform pieces per month

senior
Junior writer
1-2 pieces per month minimum.

Platform Contribution

p.a.

General Assessment
186.  Mana Trust is a not-for-profit trust that was set up in 2014 to provide Māori and Pasifika stories, voices and
worldviews that are largely missing from the mainstream media and to counter harmful negative narratives
and stereotypes prevalent in mainstream media coverage. Its publication E-Tangata is a respected high
quality longform online journalism publication.
187.

OFFICIAL

THE  ACT
188.

189.  The PIJF roles requested will increase in-depth coverage of Māori and Pacific issues and people on a scale
not offered by any other publication and requested salary and costings are in line with industry average.
Most associated costs would be covered by the applicant.
190.  E-Tangata has content sharing arrangements with
and close relationships

Mana Trust is highly committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It is led by Māori
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and Pacific co-chairs, and a further two of three trustees are Māori.
191.  Mana Trust is optimistic it can eventually sustain the proposed roles.

Staff Opinion
INFORMATION
192.  Assessors were unanimously in favour of supporting this application noting the huge amount of

along with support from

193.  E-Tangata not only provides public interest journalism to target audiences, it also helps support the

development of Māori and Pacific writers through the experience mentoring provided by

RELEASED
194.  Content outcomes were outlined in the proposal, but minimum outputs will need to be agreed before
contracting.
195.  Funding of up to $650,000 (including up to
for approved associated costs) across two years is
therefore recommended for two senior writer-editors, one regional writer and one junior writer

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The Indian Weekender                           Kiwi Media Publishing             Requested $874,500
Synopsis
196.  The Indian Weekender is applying for five new reporter roles to expand its news coverage around the country.
Role
Outputs
Salary p.a.
Est. Associated
costs p.a.
Senior Auckland reporter  TBC
$75,000
$23,250

Wellington reporter
TBC
$65,000
$19,750
Christchurch reporter
TBC
$65,000
$19,750
Hamilton reporter
TBC
$65,000
$19,750
Platform Contribution

General Assessment
OFFICIAL
197.  The Indian Weekender is a South Asian focused media company which aims to bring news to the Indian, Fiji
Indian, Nepali, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Muslim Middle Eastern and Pakistani communities. It also has a
goal of promoting diversity and inclusion.
198.

THE  ACT
199.   The Indian Weekender has been running for 12 years and is seen as one of the main sources of news
catering to its target South Asian audience in New Zealand.
200.  The New Zealand Indian diaspora has increased in numbers over the years and has also dispersed more
throughout the country. This has created a need for more news coverage in centres other than Auckland.
201.

202.
UNDER
  The Indian Weekender has had content sharing agreements with other outlets
plans to
make this content available to other outlets, including

203.

Staff Opinion
204.  The assessment panel commented that the Indian Weekender has a long record of good reporting on local
stories for what is an underserved and growing audience in New Zealand. Currently, reporting staff are
INFORMATION
centred in Auckland, but with significant South Asian populations around the country, it would be
beneficial to have more of a geographic split of reporters, in order to cover local  stories.
205.

RELEASED
The Indian Weekender

has a newsroom infrastructure in place to support these incremental journalist roles.
206.  Salary ranges and costings were in line with industry average and round averages.
207.  Due to limited available funding, assessors recommend funding four roles rather than five


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208.  Funding is recommended up to $705,000 (including up to
for approved associated costs) across
two years for these roles: Senior Auckland Reporter, Wellington Reporter, Christchurch Reporter and
Hamilton Reporter,

Pacific Media Network          The National Pacific Radio Trust               Requested

Synopsis
209.  This  application  from  the  Pacific  Media  Network  (PMN)  is  for  five  additional  reporting  roles  to  increase
coverage of Pasifika stories.
Role
Outputs
Salary p.a.
Est. Associated
Costs
Wellington political and regional
TBC

reporter
Multimedia journalist
TBC

Digital Video editor
TBC

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Current affairs producer
TBC

Senior sub-editor/ chief of staff
TBC

Platform Contribution

General Assessment
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210.  PMN includes the 531PI radio network, which broadcasts in English and 10 Pacific languages, PMN News and
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Niu FM which broadcasts in Auckland only. Across its properties, PMN is accessible to 92% of the Pasifika
population in New Zealand.
211.  Currently the PMN newsroom consists

212.  PMN has content sharing arrangements with
and many other smaller media organisations and
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will share this content with those other platforms. It also has a good working relationship with

213.  The application only asks for one year of funding.

Staff Opinion
214.  The assessment panel was unanimous in support for this application, with one assessor stating that it makes
a "strong case and will start to fill Pasifika gaps" and that it meets a democratic need for more Pasifika
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reporting, particularly within Parliament.

215.  PMN is already substantially and operationally funded by NZ On Air and given this significant level of existing
funding, assessors felt
The least crucial role was seen by the assessors as
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the current group of multimedia journalists in Auckland.
216.  This project is good value for money as it doesn’t include any costs over and above salaries.
217.  There’s strong cultural value in terms of catering to an important and underserved Pasifika audience but
staff notes there is also a strong commitment to Te Tiriti, with PMN having already partnered with Māori
news outlets to cover the last election and Waitangi Day, and a stated intention to continue this.
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218.  The roles are well thought out in terms of need, with a focus on Wellington/Parliament and increasing video
content. These proposed PIJF roles should facilitate more coverage that delivers to key PIJF objectives of in-
depth reporting for underserved audiences.
219.  Funding is recommended up to $275,000 for one year, for four roles: Wellington political and regional
reporter, Digital video editor, Current affairs producer, and Senior sub-editor/chief of staff,




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INFORMATION

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INFORMATION

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Te Reo Irirangi o Te Hiku o Te Ika
Te Hiku Media                  $176,200
Synopsis
234.  Te Hiku Radio is applying for a public interest focused digital journalist, to create online content from its radio
interviews.
Role
Outputs
Salary p.a.
Estimated
associated costs
pa
PIJF digital journalist
2 x online feature stories per week

Platform Contribution

General Assessment
235.  Te Hiku Media is a charitable media organisation, collectively belonging to

Te Hiku Radio is an iwi communications hub for iwi radio,
online TV and media services.
236.  Te Hiku Radio interviews about 35 people about news events every week and these are then posted on the
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Te Hiku website and te Whare Kōrero app. About 90% of these interviews are in te reo.
237.  The main role of this new journalist would be to produce feature stories for the website and app based on
these interviews, at around two pieces per week. The content would have a strong regional focus on a
national story or could be an entirely local story. The stories would be based around the interviews, but
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supplemented with new interviews and research, as well as photos and video where possible.
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238.  While iwi radio is operationally funded by Te Māngai Pāho, this is for the key purpose of the revitalisation of
the te reo Māori, not specifically for the creation of journalism outcomes. Te Hiku Radio sees itself as a
trusted voice in the community and that it has a role to play in bringing local issues to light for the local
community – a role that it can’t currently support financially to the scale proposed above.
239.  Te Hiku currently employs
journalists who work mainly on the Haukainga section of their website. These
reporters and the radio staff would be available to support this new reporter. Te Hiku also has strong
working relationships with
and staff expects
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they will also provide support to this new journalist.
240.  Salaries and costs are in line with industry expectations and round averages.
Staff Opinion
241.  This application was unanimously supported by the assessment panel, who believe it met core PIJF
objectives and will further highlight and leverage wider journalism content that is already available from Te
Hiku Radio and deliver greater audience outcomes as a result.
242.  Commitment to Māori issues and te reo is very strong, there is a basic newsroom infrastructure in place to
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support a new role and the outputs are clear.
243.  Funding of up to $176,200 (including
for approved associated costs) across two years is
recommended for the PIJF Digital Journalist role subject to

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Local Focus.     Very Nice Productions / NZME / Wairarapa Times Age                    $105,000
Synopsis
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244.  Local Focus is applying for role-based funding for a video journalist based in Masterton, working closely with
the Wairarapa Times-Age newsroom and providing content to both NZME and the Times-Age websites.
Role
Outputs
Salary p.a.
Est. Associated costs
p.a.
VJ Masterton Wairarapa
Approx. 5 minutes video content per week

Platform Contribution

General Assessment
245.  Local Focus has proved itself as an effective regional news media scheme, providing video reporting for The
Herald website – the largest news website in the country - from all around the country. It has been funded
by NZ On Air since 2016.
246.  This latest application is for an area that hasn’t yet been reached by Focus and doesn’t have any other video
journalists. It would see a video journalist based in Masterton, in the Wairarapa Times-Age newsroom.
247.  The application is supported by NZME and the Wairarapa Times-Age. The Times-Age used to be an NZME
title but is now independent, with an ongoing content sharing arrangement.
248.  The role would be similar to the other Local Focus roles currently supported by NZ On Air. The journalist
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would primarily be focused on video but would also write accompanying articles and these would feature on
the Herald website, and also on the Wairarapa Times-Age website.
249.  The application is for one year of funding only

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Staff Opinion
250.  Local Focus is a proven network in terms of outputs of quality local journalism with local network partners.
251.  The assessment panel praised this proposal as a “good addition to a network which seems to be working
well.”. It also noted that working with the Wairarapa Times-Age and NZME meant no competition or
duplication of roles.
252.  This application shows a strong commitment to local news and public interest journalism principles –
informing local audiences on important regional issues and providing for communities that are underserved
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with news coverage.
253.  The role is good value, with contribution and support from NZME and the Wairarapa Times-Age.
254.  Funding up to $105,000 (including
for approved associated costs) for one year is recommended
for VJ Wairarapa-Masterton role

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UMA Broadcasting
      RadioWaatea                           $774,000
Synopsis
255.  UMA Broadcasting seeks to fund 6.5 roles for an English/ bilingual news service on Radio Waatea.
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Role
Outputs
Salary p.a.
Estimated
associated costs
pa
Editor


Editor .5 FTE


Senior journalist


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Senior journalist


Senior journalist


Trainee journalist


Trainee journalist


Costs


Platform Contribution


General Assessment
256.  Radio Waatea is seeking funding for 6.5 journalist roles to extend its current bilingual news and current
affairs coverage to deliver a four-fold increase in the number of news stories and to extend on-the-ground
coverage of news events in the following regions: Tāmaki Makaurau, Te Tai Tokerau, Te Whanganui-a-Tara
and Mātaatua.
257.  The applicant proposes three experienced journalists with broadcast and online media expertise delivering
video, pics, text and audio content. These senior journalists would be assisted by two trainee journalists. This
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team would be supported by one and a half new fulltime equivalent editors.
258.

In addition,
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the general under-investment in Māori journalism over many years has proven to be a significant constraint
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on the appointment and sustained development of Māori news staff.
259.  In terms of collaborations, Waatea already has content and resource sharing arrangements with   iwi radio
stations/regional news providers,
,
,
,
,
,

They are also discussing content sharing with

260.  In Round 1 of the PIJF, Radio Waatea was funded for $433,000 to extend the current affairs show Paakiwaha
which involved an additional two journalists and a second host.
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Staff Opinion
261.  Assessors were generally in favour of this application with one noting “This proposal would almost double
the journalistic staff of Radio Waatea enabling a major leap forward.”
262.  While there was some concern about the whether the editor roles could be considered content producing
the assessors expected those roles would also produce content and this could be defined in the content
deliverables.
263.
the impact of this newsroom given the large
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collaborations with a variety of Māori and non-Māori media would provide an impactful lift in Māori
reporting across the media landscape and ensure Māori audiences were being served across a variety of
platforms.
264.  Radio Waatea is considered one of the incubators for Māori journalists and

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This
funding will enable Waatea to build a strong Māori newsroom where benefits will flow not only to
audiences but other media as well.
265.  Funding of up to $774,000 (including up to
for approved associated costs) for one year is
recommended for the Editor, .5 FTE Editor, three senior journalist and two trainee journalist roles,
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Discovery NZ                                             Newshub                               Requested

Synopsis
266.  Newshub / Discovery is applying for funding for two years for a regional journalism unit of up to   staff, plus
three ethnic affairs positions.
Role
Outputs
Annual salary
Est. Associated
costs p.a.

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Māori Affairs Reporter

Pasifika Affairs Reporter

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Asian Affairs Reporter

Plus contingency

Platform Contribution
$0

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General Assessment
267.  Discovery NZ’s news service Newshub has made an application in two parts:
and
ethnic affairs reporters.
268.

INFORMATION
269.  The intention is to provide more regional stories for a national audience, via Newshub’s news bulletins,
current affairs programmes and the Newshub website.

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Staff Opinion

Staff sought to reduce associated costs by
removing administration and overhead costs, some equipment costs and training costs.
275.

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276.  The Māori Affairs reporter, Pasifika Affairs Reporter and Asian Affairs Reporter were seen as a great
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investment in bringing diverse storytelling to a large national audience. The Asian affairs reporter in
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particular was seen as a gap in the broadcaster’s coverage.
277.  There appears to be renewed commitment to Te Tiriti reporting from Newshub, and the application lays out
additional ways this approach and these roles would be supported.
278.

and the three
additional roles a significant boost for diversity reporting.
279.  Funding up to $695,560 (including
in approved associated costs) across two years is
recommended for the following roles,
Māori Affairs Reporter, Pasifika Affairs
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Reporter and Asian Affairs reporter

  ANNEXES

INFORMATION

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AGENDA ITEM 5.5
PUBLIC INTEREST JOURNALISM FUND
FUNDING DECISIONS
RECOMMENDATION
That the Board approves funding up to:
First year
Second year
Applicant
Scope
Roles  Subject to
Funding
Funding
Recommended  Recommended
$1,777,000
$1,777,000
RNZ for 26
Local
20
publications and  Democracy
platforms
Reporter
scheme
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$1,394,620
$1,394,620
Stuff for a
Community
20
variety of Stuff
and Pou Tiaki
publications
reporters
$1,497,851
$1,497,851
NZME for the
Open Justice  15
Open Justice - Te  Project –
Pātiti scheme
nationwide
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across 11
Court
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publications
Reporting
Scheme
$796,500
$796,500
Māori Television  News and
7
Service for Māori  Current
Television
Affairs roles
Total roles recommended for funding
62
4 shortlisted applications for 62 roles recommended with a total funding of up to $10,931,942
Annex A: All applications to the PIJF roles round
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BACKGROUND
1. In January 2021 Cabinet agreed to draw down $55 million over three years (2021 -  2023) from the tagged
contingency set aside by Cabinet for broadcasting initiatives. General Guidelines for the PIJF were published in
April 2021. The principles set out in the Cabinet paper have informed the design of the Public Interest Journalism
Fund (PIJF). NZ On Air col aborated with Te Māngai Pāho on the design and delivery of the fund.
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2. The PIJF is structured to support journalistic capability across three funding pillars: Projects, Roles and Industry
Development.
ROUND OVERVIEW
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3. This second round of the PIJF sought applications to the Roles pillar of the fund only, addressing one of the most
fundamental issues facing the sector; the drastic reduction of the journalism workforce. Census figures show
journalism jobs halved between 2006 and 2018.
4. In the initial PIJF stakeholder consultation report, Hal Crawford outlined that the role-based part of the PIJF,
should look to employ 100 reporters as a minimum (page 12). This number was based on the relative scale of
similar international programmes. Staff notes that if the recommendations in front of the Board are ratified, then
the total number of roles recommended for funding in the round wil  be 110 journalism roles.
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5.  Below is a snapshot of the current planning for the round priorities and allocations for the three years of the PIJF.

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.

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6.  The guidelines for the round outlined the assessment criteria and funding priorities to applicants including:
a.  This  funding is intended to assist media entities cover areas of public interest journalism that have
become increasingly at-risk due to lack of staff.
b.  This funding is not intended to cover current positions or general news positions (unless in exceptional
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circumstances.) In cases where loss of staff is demonstrably imminent, non-incremental roles may be
funded. In this instance, applicants  must be prepared to provide financial information (including
potentially commercial sensitive information) on a confidential basis to be reviewed by an appropriate
independent assessor.
c.  The intent of this fund is to increase the quantity and quality of public interest journalism. Qualifying
criteria for a funded role are:
i.  Produces content within an agreed reporting subject scope (aligned to the General Guidelines)
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ii.  Accredited to the PIJF
iii.  Included in PIJF metrics reporting
iv.  PIJF roles wil  not be permitted to contribute to general reporting unless this is within the subject
scope and credited.
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v.  Content must be freely accessible and, if behind a paywall or in a magazine with a cover price,
funded content must also be available free of charge online as close to simultaneously as possible.
vi.  Content output expectations for the role should be established which can be monitored and
reviewed.

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7.  The assessment panel included:
•



•  Raewyn Rasch (Ngāi Tahu) - NZ On Air Head of Journalism. Former General Manager Māori and Pacific
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programmes at TVNZ, executive producer of Seven Sharp, producer of Fair Go and Marae
Investigates, TV and radio journalist.
8.  Conflicts of Interests (COI) are outlined as below. In this instance, the assessor did not assess these applications,
and were not involved in the funding decisions for these applications.
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•

did not assess these applications.
•

did not assess these applications.
9.  Additional external assessors were commissioned to undertake further assessment;

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10.

11. Applicants were asked to submit initial five-page proposals by 22 July that outlined the number, type, and cost
of all roles they wanted to apply for. See Annex A for a list of all PIJF: Roles Development applications submitted
over the two-stage process.
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12. Applicants could apply for up to two years’ worth of funding for a role, subject to performance review monitoring
at key stages to ensure targets are being met before a second year of funding is renewed. Staff received strong
feedback from industry that offering -one-year  contracts would not provide sufficient security to enable
recruitment and retention especially of experienced journalists.
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13. Staff is aware of the distortionary impact that a significant level of funding could have on the journalism
employment market and the potential for a ‘talent-poaching war’ to occur if PIJF salary rates inflate market
rates arbitrarily. To mitigate this and align the broad range of PIJF salary funding requests with industry pay
rates, staff calculated the average full-time base salaries (minus Kiwisaver, sick pay, etc) across bands (junior,
intermediate, and senior) for all roles submitted to full proposal stage. Staff then compared the resulting ‘mid-
points’ to industry-standard journalism base-pay rates sourced from the E Tū Union.

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Banding
PIJF % Requests
PIJF Average
Industry Average
Junior
5%
$45,785
$47,000
Intermediate
60%
$71,193
$60,000 - $65,000*
Senior
35%
$89,039
$72,000 - $100,000**
* Television Journalist average pay is $80,000
** Television Journalist average pay is $82,000 - $123,000
14. In line with these figures, some funding recommendations wil  be less than the requested amounts and hence
why most recommendations are subject to a ‘confirmed revised budget’.
15. Al  funding offers in this round wil  be contingent on the provision of signed employment contracts to ensure
roles have been fulfilled and if role recruitment cannot be confirmed by January 14th, 2022, then any unutilised
funding will be returned to the PIJF and reapplied in the final funding round of the financial year.
16. In order to manage this process from a contracting perspective, successful applicants wil  have the option of two
potential contract initiation deadlines. Applicants who are in a position to fulfil roles shortly after funding
decisions are announced will be able to initiate their contracts for those confirmed roles, with any remaining
roles that require a longer recruitment period having until that final January 14th cut-off date to be finalised.
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17. There were a wide variety of associated costs against roles in most proposals. Staff isolated costs for each
proposal to establish average bands across the entire round to ensure equity across all proposals and alerted
assessors where costs exceeded these averages.
18. A total of 63 applicants applied for 311 roles to a total value of $46,786,343 and given the large funding request,
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the assessment panel sought to prioritise roles to those areas of public interest journalism most affected by
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retrenchment: those of regional and local news which have faced the most attrition over recent years and to
Māori, Pacific and Asian reporting where lack of equity and increased demand remains a critical issue.
19. Assessors met on 29th and 30th July and 31 applicants were invited to submit full proposals by 17 August.
20. 31 submissions for 162 roles with a total funding request of $25,910,651 were submitted for final assessment.
21. 26 applications sought <$1m.

Four applications are recommended for funding are recommended for funding over $1m and are in
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front of the Board for consideration.
22. SIC approved funding for 48 roles total ing $6,788,417.
23.

INFORMATION
24. Staff is confident the range of roles recommended for funding covers a wide variety of media both in size and
nature and addresses the key gaps and at-risk elements of public interest journalism. Two national schemes, RNZ
Local Democracy Reporting Scheme and NZME Open Justice deliver directly on two critical areas of PIJ – local
government reporting and courts and justice reporting. Also of note are the number of roles to support South
Island coverage both at a local level and nationally which should see an increased visibility of South Island issues
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and views. The significant number of Māori reporter roles will also likely have a major impact both in the capacity
of the Māori Journalism sector and in the number of Māori reporters in mainstream media.
25. Staff believes the quality and experience of the assessment panel as former editors and journalists and their
detailed knowledge of schemes such as the LDR and court reporting provided excel ent assessment and advice
providing good industry oversight.
26. There are several unknowns going into this round that could only be answered through the application process:

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•  How many roles the sector requires to meet the needs of public interest journalism?
•  How much this additional workforce might cost?
•  How many journalists are available for recruitment into such roles if funded by the PIJF?
27. As noted above - the recruitment deadline built into this round will help us assess the available journalist pool
when we assess in January how many approved roles have been recruited and wil  receive funding to meet the
needs of audiences especially regional, local, Māori, Pasifika and Asian.

GENERAL ASSESSMENT & STAFF OPINION
Local Democracy Reporting

RNZ

Requested $3,554,000
Synopsis
28. Radio  New  Zealand  /Local  Democracy Reporting scheme  is requesting funding for 20 roles, to expand and
continue the Local Democracy Reporting scheme.
Role
Salary p.a.
Est. associated costs p.a.
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LDR Manager (RNZ)

LDR Editor (RNZ)

LDR Northland (NZME)

LDR Auckland/Waikato (PMN)

LDR South Auckland (The Spinoff)

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LDR South Auckland (Stuff)

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LDR Waikato (Tainui FM)

LDR Eastern BOP (Beacon Media)

LDR Western BOP (Sun Media)

LDR Rotorua (NZME)

LDR Tairawhiti (Gisborne Herald)

LDR Taranaki (Te Korimako)

LDR Whanganui (Awa FM)

LDR Wairarapa (Wairarapa Times-Age)

LDR Tasman (Nelson Weekly)

LDR Marlborough (Stuff)

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LDR North Canterbury (Al ied)

LDR Mid Canterbury (Ashburton Guardian)

LDR West Coast (Greymouth Star)

LDR Southland (Allied)

Total

Platform Contribution p.a.

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General Assessment
29. The Local Democracy Reporting programme is managed by RNZ and with LDR reporters based in newsrooms
around the country. Al  LDR content is published by newsrooms and made available simultaneously online to 30
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LDR  members  (media entities deemed eligible to publish LDR content):  RNZ, TVNZ, Stuff, NZME/NZ Herald,
Newsroom, The Spinoff, Otago Daily Times/Allied Press, Gisborne Herald, Wairarapa Times-Age, Ashburton
Guardian, Greymouth Star/Kaikoura Star, Westport News, Nelson Weekly/Marlborough Weekly, Blenheim Sun,
Ruapehu Bulletin, Whakatane Beacon/Opotiki News, Akaroa Mail/Kaiapoi Advocate, Radio BOP, Pacific Media
Network, Awa FM, Te Korimako o Taranaki, Wairarapa TV, NZ Doctor, Sun Media, Scoop, Southland app, Tagata
Pasifika, Asia Pacific Report, Gulf News and What’s On Invers.
30. RNZ has agreements with each LDR host newsroom (the newsroom that houses an LDR reporter)

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31.

32. The LDR programme was set up in 2018/19 via a one-off allocation of Crown funding as part of the RNZ Joint
Innovation Fund. Its purpose is to bolster public interest journalism and fill gaps in local government coverage,
mostly in regional New Zealand, brought about by declining reporter numbers in traditional media.
33.
undertook a review of the LDR pilot programme for NZ On Air in October 2020 and determined that
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the scheme is doing its job, saying it was “producing stories that would not otherwise have been written and
which assist the audience to understand the decisions and actions done in its name.”
34. Salaries and costs are in line with averages across the round and are the same as previously funded for the LDR.
35.

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Staff Opinion
36. The assessment panel was enthusiastic about expanding and continuing the programme and believes the two-
year contracts available in this round will provide important stability and assist regional recruitment.

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37. Assessors noted that the strengths of the LDR programme is the oversight provided by RNZ and the outcomes
from the LDR programme so far have reflected the goals of the PIJF, specifically focusing on local issues, local
government and underserved local communities.
38. It was also noted that the LDR system itself "has been refined over time and provides good oversight and support”
for reporters and media partners. The LDR website encourages new media partners to express an interest in
signing up, which could see content shared even more widely in the future.
39.  RNZ has also made significant investment in the scheme and continues to do so in self-funding aspects of the
scheme such as the new content management system.
40.

41. Staff noted that under the PIJF eligibility and assessment criteria, the LDR faces greater requirements to articulate
a Te Tiriti strategy. Guidance on this requirement has been provided to the sector in the PIJF FAQ (Page 2-3).
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However, Staff also noted that the
scheme has made efforts to include more Māori and Pasifika host newsrooms and now includes three iwi stations
and PMN. The inclusion of PMN in the scheme is an exciting step that should help provide the large Auckland
Pasifika population with better oversight of the decision making around their communities and hopeful y boost
engagement in local democracy. Staff also note that Māori stories and issues regularly feature on the daily list of
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stories covered by LDR and the management team have indicated they are making real efforts to improve the
amount of Māori coverage.
42. Assessors noted that should the LDR not be funded, there would be a real risk that members would not be able
to sustain coverage, and most would be curtailed creating a serious deficit especially in regional local government
reporting.

43. While there was some debate amongst the assessors about the relative merits of adding some regions over
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others, on balance, assessors agreed with the proposed spread of additional regions and there was unanimous
support for the programme and no objection to its proposed expansion.
44. Funding is recommended up  to  $3,554,000

Stuff Reporters

Stuff Ltd

Requested

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Synopsis
45.  Stuff is requesting funding for 20 new reporting roles – 11 Auckland community reporters to boost local reporting
around Auckland and 9 reporters for its Pou Tiaki section, which reports specifically on te ao Māori.

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Role
Outputs
Salary p.a.
Est. associated costs p.a.
Community reporter (Auckland) x 11

Pou Tiaki reporter x 9

Total p.a.

Platform Contribution p.a.


NZ ON AIR BOARD MEETING | 21-22 SEPTEMBER 2021 |
CONFIDENTIAL | NZOA FILE REF: GOVERNANCE/ BOARD MEETINGS/ 2021-09 SEPTEMBER | AGENDA ITEM 5.5

General Assessment
46.

The final application was for the roles outlined in the table above, at
a cost of

47.
Stuff focused on two areas for incremental roles – Auckland community
reporters and its Pou Tiaki section.
48. Its application points out that as newspaper readership and income declines, many local communities around
Auckland now miss out on local news coverage.
49.

50. The 11 proposed reporters would be overseen by Stuff’s Auckland Editor and News Directors. Their stories
would run on Stuff as wel  as in 11 local newspapers around Auckland.
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51.

The Pou Tiaki section of the website aims to cover te ao Māori from
a number of angles, including Māori views of the main story of the day, and business and sport stories.
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52. This application proposes 11 new Pou Tiaki reporters, based around the country

53. Their content, which would focus on multimedia stories (and therefore have a lower target of stories per week
than the other proposed roles) would run on Stuff as wel  as in Stuff newspapers including the Dominion Post,
Sunday Star Times and The Press.

54. Salaries in this proposal are well within the averages we see across all applications in this round.

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INFORMATION

RELEASED

NZ ON AIR BOARD MEETING | 21-22 SEPTEMBER 2021 |
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Staff Opinion
59.
.
While there was some concern about duplication with the LDR, the panel felt convinced that this was more a
geographic overlap and in fact these extra reporters would be able to contribute to stronger journalism at a
community level in areas the LDR is not able to e.g. school communities, local sports, general news, crime and
health reporting.
60.


61.  Assessors said there has been an evident commitment to Te Tiriti principles at Stuff over recent years, including
Te Tiriti principles being included in the company charter, greater use of te reo in stories and a commitment to
cover more Māori stories and stories with a Māori lens. Assessors believed that increasing the number of Pou
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Tiaki reporters was “a useful extension” to Stuff's endeavours to accurately reflect Te Ao Māori.
62.

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63.

64.

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INFORMATION
65. Overall staff see the remaining incremental roles in this application as having significant merit and the backing
of a capable established outlet. Funding is recommended up to $2,789,240

RELEASED

Open Justice – Te Pātiti

NZME

Requested $2,995,702
Synopsis
66.  Open Justice – Te Pātiti is a national multimedia service aiming to cover court and legal affairs out of regions that
currently receive little or no in-depth coverage.

NZ ON AIR BOARD MEETING | 21-22 SEPTEMBER 2021 |
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Role
Salary p.a.
Est. costs
Editor

Deputy Editor/Multimedia

Journalist ChCh
Multimedia Journalist -

Whangarei
Multimedia Journalist –

Auckland (Nth and West)
Multimedia Journalist -

Auckland (Sth)
Multimedia Journalist -

Hamilton
Multimedia Journalist -

Tauranga
Multimedia Journalist -

Rotorua
Multimedia Journalist –

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New Plymouth
Multimedia Journalist –

Hawke's Bay
Multimedia Journalist -

Whanganui
Multimedia Journalist –

ACT

Palmerston North
THE
Multimedia Journalist –

Wel ington
Multimedia Journalist -

Nelson
Coordinator 0.5 FTE

Total

General Assessment
67. NZME’s proposal provides a comprehensive plan for ongoing court and justice reporting across the country to
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support this at-risk journalism.

68. Open Justice meets several of aims of the PIJF, with a particular focus on discoverability, collaboration, and
sustainability. The requested roles would be in 12 locations across the North and South Islands, these being
Whangarei, Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, New Plymouth, Hawke’s Bay, Whanganui, Palmerston North,
INFORMATION
Wel ington, Nelson, and Christchurch.
69.

70.

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71. The project shows a commitment to te Tiriti with a raft of measures by proposing that al funded roles attend an
initial pōwhiri and noho marae to discuss the potential for racial bias and mitigations. Monthly workshops run by
will upskill reports

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in te reo, tikanga Māori, and most importantly Te Titiriti principles. This will be supplemented by regular in-house
sessions led by

Staff Opinion
72.  Assessors were enthusiastic about this project’s scope and purpose, noting that it was a strong proposal that
would help to address coverage issues in areas with little-to-no justice reporting while creating work and
training opportunities for multimedia journalists in regional newsrooms. They also felt the project
demonstrates great collaboration within the sector in terms of content sharing agreements and partnerships.
73. The kinds of partnerships proposed by Open Justice would strengthen the wider media eco-system and
maximise the audience for content created by PIJF-funded journalism.
74. The project shows a commitment to te Tiriti by proposing that al  funded roles attend monthly workshops to
learn about te ao Māori, basic Reo, te tiriti principles, and Māori protocols.
75. Assessor
stated that the project “addresses a very
real weakness in what should be a vital pil ar of our democracy - that of open justice. This has the potential to
create a nationwide network of court and legal reporting, along with coverage, analysis and explanation of
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many of the associated social, racial and cultural issues”.
76. A strength of the proposal was its broad subject matter. ‘Open Justice’ was named to signify the importance of
local justice journalism beyond simply court reporting. Its mandate across various types of legal proceedings
(such as tribunals and civil cases) and its nationwide scope means that national trends around injustice,
ACT
inequality, crime, and other significant topics, can be identified, investigated, and widely circulated.
THE
77. This collaboration ensures greater discoverability of local justice reporting over a nationwide platform. It also
allows for knowledge-sharing between larger newsrooms and less-experienced newsrooms, as well as career
development for the journalists appointed to the new roles. Staff noted Court reporting requires skilled staff
and the level of support proposed by this scheme, the management roles associated with it, and the large scale
of the scheme should provide a significant improvement in court reporting capability.
78. Staff raised concerns about the project’s potential to contribute to the bias against Māori individuals and
communities that historical y exists within mainstream justice reporting. However, the proposal demonstrates
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that NZME has taken active steps to avoid this bias by ensuring the entire team is trained in cultural
competency. It’s hoped this education approach could encourage more engagement with Māori justice issues.

79. Associated costs were considered in line with market rates. Dispensations were made for reasonable costs that
enhanced the project’s journalistic quality and rautaki Māori such as cultural competency workshops for
INFORMATION
journalists and a legal budget.
80. Funding is recommended up to $2,995,702

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Māori Television
Māori Television/Whakaata   Requested $1,593,000
Synopsis
81. Māori Television is seeking funding for seven, full-time, content-producing incremental roles over two years. Four
roles are for Pou Kawe Kōrero (Reporter /Mentors) and three are for Pou Matarau (Digital Producers).

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Role
Salary p.a
Estimated Associated Costs p.a.
Māori TV Pou Kawe Kōrero

Māori TV Pou Kawe Kōrero

Māori TV Pou Kawe Kōrero

Māori TV Pou Kawe Kōrero

Māori TV Pou Matarau

Māori TV Pou Matarau

Māori TV Pou Matarau

Total

General Assessment
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82. The proposal argues that Māori journalism is a crucial and under-resourced part of the news media landscape.
Despite the underrepresentation of Māori journalism in the mainstream news, the demand for Māori and Reo-
speaking journalists (in both Māori and mainstream newsrooms) far exceeds the existing supply.
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83.

THE

84.

85. Māori Television’s proposal aims to address these issues by increasing the number of Reo-speaking, senior, and
digital journalists in their newsroom.
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86. Pou Kawe Kōrero roles are senior journalists who would produce content and provide active mentorship guided
by tuākana-teina learning models for less-experienced journalists.

87. Pou Matarau roles are specialists in digital content. In addition to creating content, they would update and
implement Māori Television’s digital engagement strategy, and connect news content with national,
international, and indigenous digital audiences.
INFORMATION
88. The proposed roles will improve the quality, sustainability, and digital reach of Māori Television’s journalism,
while providing mentorship and cultural leadership for less-senior roles.
Staff Opinion
89. Assessors were generally in favour of the application, noting the importance of digital/non-linear delivery to the
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sustainability of Māori journalism, especially when a linear/broadcast service already exists.
90. Staff were supportive of the proposal’s rationale and goals as Māori Television has demonstrated a need for
both types of roles as well as the expertise to support them.
91. Staff felt this proposal would help to encourage and empower existing Māori journalists and strengthen the
output of Māori journalism on a national level, as well as have a positive impact on mainstream media’s
growing Māori journalism resources by increasing the pool of Māori journalists.

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92.


93.

94. Staff and Assessors felt it was important to prioritise Māori reporter roles to Māori organisations and along
with the provision of 7 roles to UMA Broadcasting for Radio Waatea and 4 roles to Mana Trust for E-Tangata
approved by SIC, this round will see the most significant provision for Māori journalism since Māori Television
was established.

95.

OFFICIAL
96. Funding is recommended up to 1,593,000


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INFORMATION

RELEASED

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AGENDA ITEM 2.10
PUBLIC INTEREST JOURNALISM – PROJECTS
FUNDING DECISIONS
RECOMMENDATION
That the Staff Investment Committee approves funding up to:
•
$737,036 to Great Southern Television and Aoteaora Media Collective for The Hui 7, 40 x 28’ shows and
40 x 28' podcasts for Three
•
$978,175 to Discovery NZ for Newshub Nation 2022, 41 x 50’ and a podcast series for Three subject to
•
$324,200 to Stuff for Stuff Circuit 2022, a minimum of 90’ of video for Stuff
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•
$842,200 to Television New Zealand for Q+A with Jack Tame 2022, 40 x 59’ episodes, plus a two-hour
special on TVNZ 1
•
$336,358 to Newsroom NZ for Newsroom Investigates 2022, a minimum of 60’ of video for Newsroom
•
$146,745 to Kowhai Media for A Voice for Tangaroa, 4 x 3000-word written features, 6 x 400-1500-word
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stories for NZ Geographic, subject to
•
$9,817 to Kakalu Media for Online project,  website  creation  and livestream capability,  subject to
•
$152,304 to The Spinoff for The Quarter Million, 2 x 4,000-5,000-word feature plus 8-10 Instagram tiles,
4 x 1000-word stories plus 8-10 Instagram tiles, 4 x 2,000-word stories plus 8-10 Instagram tiles for The
Spinoff
•
$292,692 to Muster Vibrant Rural Communities for Rural Issues: Women’s perspectives on
contemporary social and cultural issues, 9 x 3,000 words, 72 x 600-1500-word stories, 6 x 3’ video for
Shepherdess platforms, subject to
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•
$80,500 to NZME for Whenua: is it yours? Interactive database and map, 4 x 1,500-3,000 word features,
subject to
•
$154,020 to BusinessDesk for Charity Sector Investigation,  a minimum of  30 stories, subject to
•
$25,000 to North & South Media for Exploring Aotearoa’s Chinese Communities, 4-6 features totalling
20,000 words, subject to
INFORMATION
•
$40,000 to Newsroom NZ for Climate Change Interview Series, 10 x 12’ video content for Newsroom
•
$189,200 to Māori Television for Miria Te Pounamu, subject to
•
$61,725 to Allied Press for Cultural Competency and commissioning project, 6 x  long-form  articles,
subject to
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15 applications recommended for total funding of up to $4,369,972
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   OVERVIEW
1.
In January 2021 Cabinet agreed to draw down $55m over the next three years (2021 - 2023) from the tagged
contingency set aside by Cabinet for broadcasting initiatives. This funding will be administered by NZ On Air
to support the production of public interest journalism including Māori and Iwi journalism that is relevant to
and valued by New Zealanders.
2.
General Guidelines for the PIJF were published in April 2021. The principles set out in the Cabinet paper have
informed the design of the Public Interest Journalism Fund (PIJF). NZ On Air col aborated with Te Māngai
Pāho on the design and delivery of the fund.
3.
The PIJF is structured to support journalistic capability across three funding pillars: Projects, Roles, and
Industry Development.
4.
This third round of the Public Interest Journalism Fund sought applications to the Projects and Targeted
Roles pillars of the fund. Information for this Sep/Dec funding round outlined the assessment criteria and
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funding priorities to applicants.
5.
NZ On Air earmarked circa $9m for this funding round and received 80 initial applications col ectively seeking
$29,135,469.
6.
Applications for Project funding (circa $7m allocated) were sought in the following areas:
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•  News and Current Affairs Projects – including children’s and youth news
•  Investigative journalism projects
•  Projects that improve the overall quality, provision and/or sustainability of PIJ.
7.
The criteria for Targeted Roles in this round (circa $2m allocated) were developed in response to industry
feedback and learnings after Round 2 which had focused purely on content-creation roles and Round 3
sought to encourage roles that supported the production and sustainability of high-quality public interest
journalism.
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8.
This round invited applications from a number of journalism and current affairs projects annually funded by
NZ On Air baseline factual funding, and projects recently funded via one-off additional Government funding.
9.
These projects were considered in a ful y contestable process under the same eligibility and assessment
criteria as other applications with an additional circa $4m from NZ On Air baseline factual funding added to
this PIJF round to acknowledge that it was likely that some returning journalism projects would be funded
and that accommodations should be made to maximise the number of new projects that could be supported
via the PIJF. This decision was made following stakeholder consultation from the sector in February.
INFORMATION
10.  The ‘legacy’ projects for consideration by SIC include three that cover political affairs along with general
news and current affairs, Q + A, Newshub Nation and The Hui. While the PIJF General Guidelines published in
April noted ‘National Political Coverage’ in the topics not covered by the PIJF, they did allow for applicants to
make the case for funded coverage of these issues on a culturally specific basis and with a clear rationale as
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to how they would not be covered in the normal course of events.”

11.


12.  There was a two-stage application process for Round 3. Applicants were first asked to submit five-page
proposals by Thursday 30th September, which were individual y assessed by panel ists. A hui was then held
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on Friday 8th of October. Shortlisted applications then submitted ful  proposals by Tuesday 26th of October.
Fol owing further individual assessment, a hui was held on Tuesday 2nd November to decide on the funding
recommendations outlined in this paper.
13.
applications were submitted at the first stage seeking Project Funding.
were invited to submit to full
proposal stage. 15 projects outlined in this paper are recommended for funding up to $4,369,972

Six projects were considered as part of the Children and Youth paper and
are considered in a separate SIC paper (agenda item 2.12).
14.  The assessment panel for the PIJF Round 3 included:
a.

b.

c.

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d.  Raewyn Rasch (Ngāi Tahu) - NZ On Air Head of Journalism. Former General Manager Māori and Pacific
programmes at TVNZ, executive producer of Seven Sharp, producer of Fair Go and Marae
Investigates, TV and radio journalist.
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e.  Glenn Usmar - Associate Head of Funding (Systems), NZ on Air. Former Programme Manager for Rialto
Channel, Sky TV, and Programmer at TVNZ.
f.  Gabriel Thomas - Journalism Manager, NZ On Air. Former executive producer of The Nation and Firstline,
producer Newshub Live at 6.
g.  Fairooz Samy - Journalism Funding Advisor, NZ On Air. Current Media Studies PhD candidate at Victoria
University of Wellington.
15.  Conflicts of interest are outlined as below. Funding assessors did not have access to the funding application
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and were removed from the funding decisions for these applications.
a.
took no part in this assessment.
b.  Raewyn Rasch

aewyn took no part in the
Newsroom Investigates assessment.
c.  Amie Mil s

INFORMATION
she did not take part in the assessment discussion for this application.

GENERAL ASSESSMENT & STAFF OPINION
The Hui 7

Great Southern Television               $737,036
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Key personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
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16.  This is an application for a 7th season of The Hui a weekly digital-first Māori current affairs programme
broadcast on Three and multiple other platforms that promotes the Māori world view on a range of issues
while supporting the normalisation and status enhancement of te reo Māori.
General Assessment
17.  Since 2016, The Hui has provided a Māori world view in a half hour programme of current affairs video
reporting and studio interviews. In 2021 it became a digital-first format and it proposes to continue this in
2022, digitally live streaming 40 x 28’ shows on Monday 8.30pm, followed by 2 x linear replays on Three, as
well as producing a weekly podcast of the show (40 x 28').
18.  The primary platform is Three with additional platforms listed as Māori Television, Māori Television on
Demand, and ThreeNow. Stories are cross-promoted on Newshub’s 6pm bul etin extending reach of the
programme. It also has significant delivery via the Facebook live stream.
19.  While the linear broadcast currently airs following Newshub Late, Three is providing four on-air promos with
a new promotion slot that screens during the 6pm Newshub bul etin on Saturday.

OFFICIAL

20.

ACT
THE

21.  The quality of journalism on The Hui has been recognised international y with the programme being named
as a finalist for Best Public Affairs Program in the 2021 New York Festival’s TV and Film Awards, alongside Al
Jazeera and CGTN America.

22.  The stories covered in 2021 demonstrate a broad range of issues and topics and many were picked up by
other media including a Māori women’s health special which sparked a larger debate. Social justice and
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injustice also featured heavily with the programme discussing sensitive issues such as sexual abuse.
23.

24.

INFORMATION

25.

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Staff Opinion
26.  The Hui is a highly professional current affairs programme that serves both a Māori and general audience
from an unapologetic Māori world view. There is no doubt that The Hui is capable of leading the news
agenda and the access to a national audience via Newshub is well exploited.
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27.  The Hui exemplifies the meaning of public interest journalism by holding power to account, covering issues
that might otherwise not come to light, and providing a voice for and forum for discussion of topics affecting
te ao Māori.
28.

29.  The only other Māori current affairs programme to compare to The Hui is Marae, also funded by Te Māngai
Pāho which has been going for more than 20 years and broadcasts on TVNZ 2 on Sunday mornings.

Given the scarcity of Māori viewpoints in
mainstream media, staff felt that there was no issue of duplication at play with these two programmes as
they provided variety and duality.
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30.  The Hui plays an important role in training and mentoring young Māori journalists and the applicant
provided a list of 15 reporters who have moved through the programme

Funding in round
1 of the PIJF for a Hui Summer Series will further enhance this training capability.
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31.  The move to digital-first has seen audience engagement that outstrips the linear delivery.
32.  AMC has demonstrated they have the capability to deliver to the highest level of current affairs and their
nurturing of young journalists is providing a vital learning ground for Māori journalists. Funding is
recommended up to $737,036.

Newshub Nation 2022

Discovery NZ
         $978,175
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work
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Synopsis
33.  Newshub Nation is a 41 x 56’ leading current affairs show for Three which is screened Saturdays live at
INFORMATION
9.30am with extended repeat plays on Sundays at 10am, Mondays after the late news and an accompanying
podcast series ‘Supplementary Question’. It is returning for its 12th season in 2022 and includes one political
special broadcast from a Māori electorate.
General Assessment
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34.  Newshub Nation has been supported by NZ On Air since 2010 and while it is similar in nature to Q+A on
TVNZ 1, which is also recommended for funding in this round, both shows provide strong public interest
journalism by holding power to account especially at a national political level.


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35.

36.

37.

OFFICIAL
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38.  The applicant says it has a deep commitment to Te Tiriti evidenced by the fact it refreshed its set graphics to
feature an overlay of the Māori version of Te Tiriti o Waitangi symbolising the partnership it seeks to
achieve.

INFORMATION
39.  Newshub Nation says it takes seriously its responsibility to reflect the cultural diversity of NZ especially in
those it chooses to feature on the show

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40.

OFFICIAL

41.  Newshub Nation’s ‘Supplementary Question’ was a finalist in the best podcast category of the Voyager
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awards this year

42.

43.

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Staff Opinion
44.  Newshub Nation is a successful programme that delivers strong public interest journalism and despite
relatively smal  audience numbers has strong impact both in the way it holds power to account and uncovers
and provides a forum for issues that might otherwise not be brought to public attention.
45.  This contribution to public interest journalism would not be created if not for the public funding afforded
this programme.
46.  Its innovation towards digital platforms is seeing that impact broaden beyond the traditional audiences and
INFORMATION
its move to YouTube may also bring in new audiences.
47.

48.
it has shown it is committed to cultural diversity both in the
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competency of its staff and the stories and people it engages on air. The development of a Partnership Editor
at Newshub (currently recommended for funding as a Targeted Role in this round) will also help develop this
area if funded. Funding is recommended up to $978,175 subject to

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Stuff Circuit 2022

Stuff

$324,200
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
49.  A fourth season of large-scale in-depth investigations from the award-winning Stuff Circuit team across
video, digital text features and Stuff’s nationwide stable of newspapers.
50.  For 2022 they will produce at least 90’ of video content with the specific number of outputs dependent on
the nature of the story/stories.
General Assessment
51.  Stuff Circuit operates as an investigative unit within Stuff with investigations housed on the Stuff Circuit
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website showcasing video, supported by text features, news stories, timelines, maps interactives in whatever
format best suits the story.
52.  This year, the Stuff Circuit team has been working on

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THE

53.  Stuff had another story funded in 2020 from the general factual fund, ‘Deleted: How New Zealand is
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implicated in the persecution of the Uyghurs in China’, which was published earlier this year. This
documentary exposed New Zealand businesses and political links to a Chinese company accused of human
rights violations against Uyghurs in China.
54.

INFORMATION
55.

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56.  Stuff Circuit is produced by an experienced team headed by

and won ‘Best Documentary/Series’ at the 2021 Voyager Media Awards for ‘Emma’. It also won a
Gold Medal, for Best Use of Video for ‘Deleted’ at the World Association of News Publishers Digital Media
Awards Asia 2021.

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57.

58.  COVID-19 has had an impact on the ability of the team to travel - especially internationally - and while it has
budgeted for the possibility of some travel later next year, if that does not eventuate, it will divert resources
into alternate methods of storytelling as it has done this year – for example, with increased use of animation
to replace on-the-ground footage.
59.  While Stuff, at an organisational level, has developed a strong Te Tiriti commitment within its charter, the
Stuff Circuit application simply states that it has a close relationship with

is currently studying te reo Māori to ensure correct pronunciation and use of te reo
and enhanced knowledge of tikanga.
Staff Opinion
OFFICIAL
60.  The journalism produced by Stuff Circuit is public interest journalism of the highest order. I

The fact that Stuff is
speaks to its commitment to this form of public
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interest journalism, however public funding remains a vital requirement to continue making this content.
61.

there is an argument that this deep investigative
content is unique in its delivery and that the strong performance of past Stuff Circuit seasons is a sufficient
indication of an ongoing, engaged audience base.

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62.  NZ On Air has also traditionally funded Newsroom Investigates alongside Stuff Circuit, which produces a very
similar product for a similar cost
. The elements of competition and duality
have always played an important role in motivating investigative journalism and staff believes that multiple
investigative projects across competing news outlets is important to the plurality and breadth of this critical
genre of public interest journalism. Funding is recommended for up to $324,200.
INFORMATION

Q+A 2022

TVNZ

$842,200
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

RELEASED

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Synopsis
63.  Q+A with Jack Tame is a political current affairs programme on TVNZ comprising a weekly hour of interviews,
debates and discussions that inform and educate the country on the most pressing issues facing New
Zealand. 40 x 59’ episodes screening on Sundays at 9am, with a repeat on Mondays at 11.50pm as well as
one two-hour Budget Special.
General Assessment
64.  NZ On Air has funded Q+A since 2010 when it was hosted by

and despite a short period in 2018 when it aired in prime time it has played in the same slot
at 9am on Sunday mornings.
65.  In 2021 the programme delivered several special episodes that took a head-on look at some of the big issues
facing New Zealanders, including climate change, superannuation, and the teaching of maths. These
episodes feature a diverse array of experts speaking on a panel in front of a live studio audience. Q+A
intends to deliver 6-8 of these types of specials in 2022.
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66.

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67.
68.

INFORMATION
69.

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70.

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71.  In terms of its commitment to Te Tiriti, Q+A states “We strongly intend to continue strengthening both our
coverage of stories that affect Māori and minority communities, along with elevating voices from those
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communities to speak for themselves”.
THE

72.

Staff Opinion
73.  Q+A delivers quality public interest journalism, holding power to account and providing a forum for
important issues to be discussed and debated.
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74.

PIJF data tracking will hopefully provide a more complete analysis post the 2022 season.
75.

76.  It is staff’s opinion that providing duality in these national forums is a vital part of the current media
landscape and a healthy democracy. Funding is recommended up to $842,200.
INFORMATION

Newsroom Investigates 4

Newsroom

$336,358
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work
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Synopsis
77.  A video series delivering 3 – 6 investigations with a total duration of no less than 60 minutes.

the NRI team focuses on social justice reporting that results in change.
General Assessment
78.  Newsroom Investigates produces a series of online video investigations with a range of formats from tightly
packaged 10’ programmes to multiple segments supported by digital text content. So far in 2021, the team
has produced nine Newsroom Investigates videos with a total duration of 90’ and expects to exceed its
funded deliverables.
79.  There is no doubt this series has had impact. In 2021 its stories included an investigation into violence
against rangatahi in state care and within 48 hours of the story publication, Oranga Tamariki closed a youth
residence, stood down 60 staff and opened an investigation. The story sparked more than 40 stories
produced by other media. This exposé was the culmination of four years’ worth of investigating the impacts
of Oranga Tamariki and state-related agencies on New Zealand’s young people and the impact Newsroom
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Investigates has had has been significant.
80.  The ramifications of the Hastings Uplift (2020) story continued this year with the Waitangi Tribunal releasing
its findings in what is the fifth inquiry sparked by the story. In its report it states “…. The professionalism of
Newsroom team has meant that a very important window has been opened into
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a world normally shut by the operation of privacy principles and court process.”
THE
81.

82.

83.  Newsroom Investigates says it is committed to its responsibilities as Tangata Tiriti and believes its continued
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investigations highlighting institutional racism and developed relationships with Ngāti Kahungunu are
evidence of that. It also has a robust content sharing arrangement with

84.

Staff Opinion
INFORMATION
85.  Newsroom Investigates punches wel  above its weight in the impact its stories have and there is no doubt it
is delivering high quality public interest journalism.
86.

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Ultimately its ability to hold power to account can be seen in the number of changes forced on
government departments and for the betterment of Aotearoa, especially its rangatahi.
87.  Newsroom Investigates has in three years carved a huge reputation for itself with a form of investigative
journalism that is more issues-focused than that of Stuff Circuit, its nearest rival and provides an important
plurality of important public interest investigative journalism. Funding is recommended up to $336,358.

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A Voice for Tangaroa

Kowhai Media Ltd       $146,745
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
88.  Kowhai Media (NZ Geographic magazine) is applying for funding for A Voice for Tangaroa, a look into the
most neglected 93% of New Zealand’s territory – the sea.
General Assessment
89.  New Zealand Geographic has been published since 1989 and the entire archive is available online. The
Ministry of Education subscribes to the archive on behalf of al  NZ students.
90.

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91.

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THE

92.  The project would comprise four major features
with original photography across at
least 14 pages each, and six stories
. These would run in NZ
Geographic across a year, with a view to telling stories that are seasonal.
93.

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Staff Opinion
94.  Biodiversity, ocean sanctuaries and economic development are topical issues of public interest, and the
assessors feel this project meets the PIJF criteria. One noted, “The subject is compel ing and provides an
opportunity to provide informed analysis and investigation of a complex subject.”
95.  There is also a hope that

bringing public interest journalism to a wider audience.
INFORMATION
96.  There is a significant amount of content proposed and assessors felt that given it is a resource-intensive
story to tel , it would not happen without public funding.
97.  This is innovative public interest journalism on an important topic not being covered elsewhere and that
could not happen without public support. Funding is recommended up to $146,745 subject to

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Kakalu Media Ltd

Kakalu Media Ltd

$9,817
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
98.  Kakalu Media is applying for funding to set up a website and livestream capability, to reach new Tongan
audiences with its news content.
General assessment
99.  Kakalu o Tonga is the only printed Tongan language newspaper in New Zealand. It is also distributed in
Tonga and Sydney. It has been in print since 2010.
100.  Kakalu Media has not applied for NZ On Air funding before.
101.  Kakalu proposes setting up a website to share its news content to a wider audience and giving it the
capability to livestream community events both here in New Zealand and in Tonga. Once it is established,
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this would be managed with current staffing and would not incur additional PIJF funding requests.
102.

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103.

THE

Staff Opinion
104.  The assessment panel was very enthusiastic about supporting Kakalu Media, given that it has an established
readership as evidence it is a valuable information service for the Tongan community in New Zealand.
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105.

106.  The amplification of current news content to a wider Pacific audience in particular is an important criterion
for the PIJF, and this application fits that brief well. It also meets the objectives of the PIJF to provide funding
that will help media outlets transition to more sustainable models of news production.
107.

INFORMATION
108.  Transitioning print media towards digital certainly speaks to the sustainability goals of the PIJF and for a very
modest outlay, this application will transform Kakalu o Tonga and support a highly underserved audience.
Funding is recommended up to $9,817 subject to

RELEASED

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The Quarter Million

The Spinoff

$152,304
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
109.  The Quarter Million is a visual interrogation of The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care aimed at
18–30-year-olds, covering the stories of survivors, the stark reality of the numbers, and the changes we need
to protect future generations.
110.  Outputs include:
•  1 x longform graphic feature (combining illustration, interactive infographics and text) introducing
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the inquiry (8-10 Instagram tiles accompanied by
)
•  4 x first-person illustrated narratives from survivors, including Māori and Pacific experiences (8-10
Instagram tiles accompanied by
as told-to written feature)
•  4 x location-based graphic features, looking at key locations and presenting a mixture of data-driven
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summaries and personal experiences (8-10 Instagram tiles accompanied by
)
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•  1 x longform graphic feature looking at the future of the inquiry as well as the healing required as
described by survivors themselves (8-10 Instagram tiles accompanied by
feature)
111.  The timeline for the project is

General Assessment
112.  Established in 2018, The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care is a landmark process uncovering
our devastating history of state abuse in Aotearoa — yet, according to the proposal, 70% of 18-24-year-olds
and 58.3% of 25-29-year-olds have never heard of the Inquiry or the issues it raises, despite recognising the
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importance of the inquiry and having an interest in it.
113.

114.
this series seeks to meet this audience where they are, balancing the need to
sensitively honour the stories told by survivors with the need for public awareness, given the human
tendency to avoid reading stories of abuse and trauma.
INFORMATION
115.  The project will include a combination of visual investigative features as well as translations designed
specifically for social media, to encourage readers to share key information easily.
116.  Given the high proportion of Māori survivors — and the fact that Aotearoa’s history of colonisation and
inequality has led to their higher representation within the state care system today (making up 69% of
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children in state care) — The Spinoff considers it integral that Māori journalists are part of this project, and it
has named
on the production team.
117.  The platform recognises the emotional weight of investigative journalism of this nature, so is ensuring this is
shared between a team that wil  report on this series together, along with ensuring there are regular check-
ins and emotional support made proactively available, particularly to the junior journalists for whom this will
also serve as a professional development opportunity.
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118.  Stories will be published as hero pieces on the site and made available for publication to The Spinoff’s
content-sharing partners,

119.

Staff Opinion
120.  Although the PIJF has funded two pieces of content on The Abuse in State Care Enquiry, it remains one of the
biggest issues Aotearoa has faced. While a number of media outlets have covered the topic, staff felt that
this project would engage a young, digitally entrenched demographic, who may not be as familiar with the
Inquiry because they do not follow mainstream media.
121.  Staff felt confident of The Spinoff’s ability to deliver this project to its suggested demographic, especially
through channels that appeal to them, such as social media.
122.  One assessor noted,
The project has the potential to
reach and engage with that audience on a subject that is of exceptional public interest, and which stil  has
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long-term consequences for the people affected, their families and generations to fol ow”. Funding is
recommended for up to $152,304.

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Rural Issues
Muster Vibrant Rural Communities Limited

$292,692
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
123.  Muster Vibrant Rural Communities Limited (Shepherdess Magazine) is applying for funding for a multi-media
series focusing on under-reported issues significant to women in rural and regional communities in NZ.
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General Assessment
124.  Shepherdess magazine began as a blog with the first print version of the magazine coming out in March
2020.
They are also multi-media focused, creating videos,
specific social media content, email newsletters, and community storytelling projects and exhibitions. The
quality of the magazine is high, and it has already won awards and praise from within the media.
125.

INFORMATION

126.  The project would consist of nine in-depth feature stories (
) and 72 shorter stories, all
with original photography, plus six short films of three minutes each. These would be run across Shepherdess
magazine, website, social media channels and a fortnightly email newsletter.
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127.  Across the project more than 100 women will be interviewed, and the application outlines significant
thought given to the geographic spread and the diversity of the interviewees. They say stories of wāhine
Māori will be a priority.
128.  Topics covered in the series include

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129.  The application includes a letter of support from


130.  The application includes another letter of support from Rural Women NZ which says Shepherdess magazine
“provides an opportunity for connection between rural women that is not offered by any other publication.”
It also highlights the importance for young girls living in rural areas to be able to see success stories of
women from their own communities or communities like theirs.
Staff Opinion
131.  The assessment panel was unanimous in its feeling that rural women are an audience not being served
by other media, and this is an opportunity to reach them with a quality PIJ project.
132.  The topics covered are important to the audience and investigating them in this in-depth way meets PIJF
criteria. The magazine is high quality and although relatively new, there is confidence this funding will
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support it to grow its audience. Encouraging this publication also helps meet one of the goals of the PIJF to
grow the sector in at-risk areas.
133.

ACT
THE

134.  As stated in the PIJF guidelines, women and rural communities are currently underserved audiences and
staff is confident this project will deliver high quality PIJ content that engages and gives voice to this unsung
demographic. Funding is recommended up to $292,692 subject to


Whenua: Is it yours?

NZME

$80,500
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Key personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
INFORMATION
135.  A multi-media interactive map and database which shows how and when land became part of the Pākehā
property system in Aotearoa New Zealand – right down to individual properties.
General Assessment
136.  The aim of this project is to make historical Māori land losses tangible and real to many New Zealanders who
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have not previously understood the issue. It is hoped this will promote more informed debate on the issue of
historical Māori land claims.

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137.  The project points to the fact that close to three quarters of the North Island and the vast majority of the
South Island was taken from Māori through confiscation and inequitable purchases between 1840 and 1939.
NZME believes providing New Zealanders with the opportunity to understand the magnitude and process of
land unfairly or cheaply lost by Māori will create a better understanding of the economic, social and cultural
devastation which these land losses caused for Māori, which has translated directly into today’s over-
representation in negative statistics such as poverty, crime and incarceration.
138.  This project will develop a database using complex information from Treaty settlements, visualised as an
interactive map of New Zealand. Over time this will allow the viewer to click on any location and see when
and how the land there became part of the Pākehā property system. NZME says ultimately the database
could be made open source for updates from citizen journalists, subject to appropriate checks and balances.
This would create a vital resource of future historical record that could inform the ongoing settlement
process and even our education system.
139.  The interactive map will be accompanied by a series of long and short-form videos, case studies, features
and news stories providing context to the information presented. The application outlines a five-day plan to
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roll out the map and stories around it.
140.  NZME says it will collaborate throughout the project with
to
ensure its Te Tiriti commitment embodied in its Ngā Mātāpono (The Principles) strategy is followed.
141.

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THE
142.

Staff Opinion
143.
it intends to be based on factual data, the risks posed do sit
squarely within the remit of public interest journalism to ensure New Zealanders are better informed about
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our history and the ongoing impacts of colonisation. The application addresses the issue of safety for
participants and staff with plans in place to mitigate overtly negative reactions.
144.

145.  This application references the role of the Kaupapa Māori Editor which has been submitted into this round
INFORMATION
as a Targeted Role funding application (agenda item 2.11). The proposal states that this role would work
closely alongside the NZME Head of Cultural Partnerships to ensure Māori perspectives are at the forefront
of editorial decisions from the outset of the project. The Kaupapa Māori Editor role is currently being
recommended for funding subject to

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146.

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147.  This project captured the imaginations of all assessors who were universally in favour of it. It is an audacious
initiative using innovative cutting-edge visualisation to tell an important story - delivering strong public
interest journalism and demonstrating a clear commitment to Te Tiriti. Its ability to stand as a resource for
all to use for many years to come makes it a particularly compelling case for public funding. Funding is
recommended up to $80,500 subject to



Charity Sector Investigation

BusinessDesk

$154,020
Key personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

OFFICIAL

Synopsis
148.  BusinessDesk is applying for funding for an in-depth investigation into New Zealand’s $18b charity sector,
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with particular focus on how effective charities are and whether charitable status is being abused.
General Assessment
149.  BusinessDesk is currently producing ‘How Good is our Public Service’ with $174,092 funding from the PIJF
and this is scheduled to launch in November 2021. BusinessDesk also received PIJF funding of $191,000 for a
cadetship programme.
150.

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151.  According to this application, Aotearoa’s charity sector is worth more than $18b a year, including nearly $2b
of cash donations by New Zealanders. It says more than half of all New Zealanders donate either money or
time to charity. This investigation will set out to answer how effective the charity sector is and whether
charitable status is being abused.
152.  There are a wide range of story angles proposed, including the regulation of charities, fundraising methods
for example as cheques are phased out, legacies and bequests as baby boomers age, how the biggest
charities in NZ spend every dollar, different cultural approaches to charity etc.
INFORMATION
153.  Content will include at least 30 written stories, along with imagery and interactive graphics, similar to the
public service investigation and all content will sit in front of the BusinessDesk paywall.

154.

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Staff Opinion
155.  BusinessDesk is a journalist-owned outlet, and the assessors see it as having a proven track record on public
interest journalism
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156.  Some assessors noted that investigations of this nature have in the past unduly targeted Māori
organisations, however staff saw no evidence of this in feedback discussions with the applicant and has
confidence in BusinessDesk’s reputation of maintaining the highest standards of journalistic fairness,
accuracy and balance.
157.  Assessors believe - given the billions of dollars New Zealanders donate every year - this is a topic that will
likely have relevancy for many could have an impact on where they choose to donate their money in future.
The charity sector forms part of a functioning society, and therefore an investigation on it was seen by the
assessors as fitting the public interest journalism definition. Assessors noted the deep research required for
this type of journalism as being research the applicant has not been able to resource on its own. Funding up
to $154,020 is recommended subject to

Exploring Aotearoa’s Chinese Communities
North & South

$25,000
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Key personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
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158.  North & South seeks project funding for a series of 4-6 magazine articles exploring different facets of Chinese
THE
communities in New Zealand.
159.  Outputs are 4-6 magazine feature articles

General Assessment
160.  The project fills a gap in coverage of Chinese issues that exists because of various sensitive socio-political
factors. These include the lack of language skills for the few reporters who cover the Chinese community
within mainstream publications and the lack of time and trust necessary to build relationships with sources,
especially in contexts where external political interference or retaliation is a possibility.
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161.  In recent years, concerns have grown about the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to exert pressure on
politicians, Chinese Kiwis, and Chinese language media in Aotearoa. North & South argues that this project
will deliver well-informed journalism in a media environment that has not been able to provide the nuanced
and thorough perspective needed to properly cover the Chinese community in New Zealand.
162.

INFORMATION

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Staff Opinion
163.  Assessors acknowledged that Chinese NZ audiences are underserved and hard to reach, factors which are
exacerbated by the lack of accurate and trustworthy reporting about Chinese experiences in Aotearoa.
164.  Although this project is targeted at a general audience, staff felt that there was a significant benefit to the
public at large to have well-researched investigative pieces that represent the diversity and complexities
within the Chinese-Kiwi community and would likely reach this targeted audience alongside its broad reach.
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165.  Assessors felt North & South had a proven track record of PIJ and had the capability to execute this
investigative project to a high standard.
166.  Assessors thought it was important that North & South had sourced a Chinese-Kiwi journalist to undertake
the interviews, research, and writing.
is experienced and speaks Mandarin and Cantonese fluently,
all of which would be hugely advantageous for this project.
167.  One assessor noted that, “investigative long-form pieces about Chinese Kiwis are over-due and highly
important in the climate of coronavirus and NZ's political relationship with China. This proposal is led by a
Chinese-Kiwi journalist who wil  be able to provide the necessary cultural and linguistic expertise to do these
topics justice”. Funding is recommended up to $25,000, subject to

Climate Change Interview Series

Newsroom NZ Ltd

$40,000
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work
OFFICIAL

Synopsis
168.  Newsroom is applying for funding for a 10-part interview series (video, podcasts, and text) in which

THE  ACT
would speak to a range of people about how NZ will move to a low carbon future.
General Assessment
169.  Newsroom has been a noted provider of quality public interest journalism since it began in 2017. It is headed
by very experienced journalists and is committed to uncovering stories the mainstream media does not. Its
application lays out a clear commitment to PIJ and to Te Tiriti, particularly by consulting Māori and
amplifying Māori voices.
170.  Newsroom has received funding from the Public Interest Journalism Fund in the previous two rounds and
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has also applied in this round for funding for Newsroom Investigates and for two targeted roles. Both project
applications, and one Targeted Role request are currently recommended for funding.
171.
is one of New Zealand’s leading climate change journalists and analysts.

172.  This project would consist of 10 video interviews of at least 12’, accompanied by podcast audio versions and
written articles.
They would be published in front
of Newsroom’s paywall and all content would be made available to

INFORMATION

173.  Interviewees would include sector leaders from transport, farming, energy, iwi, education, forestry, and
tourism. and would look at innovative solutions for moving to a net zero economy.
174.

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Staff Opinion
175.  While climate change is a topic that has been well traversed in our media, this series should stand out due to
specific knowledge of the topic. One assessor described
as “one of Aotearoa’s most
respected journalists”
The project is also taking an
original approach, looking past the debate over the causes and extent of climate change, and setting aside
the potentially catastrophic effects, to look at practical solutions.
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176.  As the application notes, climate change is the story of a generation, and how it is reported and analysed will
be crucial to public understanding and acceptance of changes that wil  need to occur. The issue is of huge
public interest, particularly with a younger audience.
177.  The budget is reasonable for the projected outputs. Assessors believe climate change is a topic that the
media must not shy away from, and this project wil  contribute to public awareness and informed debate.
Funding up to $40,000 is recommended.

Miria te Pounamu
Māori Television Service        Requested

Key personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
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178.  A series of on-the-job training wānanga to increase and enhance the goals and professional development of
Māori Television newsroom staff in bilingual and digital journalism.
General Assessment
179.  The name of this project comes from the saying ‘mira te pounamu, pīata ana’, - polish the greenstone so it
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gleams, and so this proposal seeks to enhance the capability of Māori Television’s journalists in bilingual and
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online journalism.
180.

181.

Miria Te Pounamu will help improve the access New Zealand
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audiences have to Māori content.

182.  This proposal is to provide a series of on-the-job professional development wānanga for the current
journalist staff with  other MTS staff also benefiting from specialist courses that relate to their work.
Specialist trainers would be brought in for six wānanga outlined in the application covering subjects such as
media law, digital first approach to news, interview skills in Māori and English, bilingual journalism, video
journalism and editing and te reo Māori.
INFORMATION
183.  The wānanga would be organised and developed by a project co-ordinator who would develop and manage
the training framework, training events calendar and integration into other developmental activities and
programmes such as the PIJF funded Te Rito programme (which is focused on cadets).
184.

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Staff Opinion
185.  Staff notes that this application has a strong Industry Development bent, which was a strand of funding not
available in this PIJF Round. However, the Round 3 guidelines allowed for ‘Projects demonstrating defined
outputs and targets that support the professional development and upskil ing of newsroom staff’ and stated
that there would be an expectation that these resources will be made available across the sector and to local
journalism education providers.

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186.  Assessors were strongly in favour of supporting this

this project truly spoke to the intention of this round to lift
and improve the quality of New Zealand journalism.
187.  The project request was for two years however the round criteria only provides funding for one year. Staff
spoke with
at Māori Television to discuss the implications of this and whether the project
funded for one year would be doable and
agreed that it would be. Funding is recommended for up
$189,200 subject to

Allied Press Group

Allied Press Group
  $61,725
Key personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work OFFICIAL

Synopsis
188.  Training project to address deficits in existing staff’s cultural competency, particularly with regard to Māori.
ACT
This project wil  operate in conjunction with the appointment of a Partnership Editor with two
THE
complementary parts - training and commissioning of content.
General Assessment
189.  Allied Press is proposing to set up a training and commissioning project to address deficits in terms of its
existing staff cultural competency and ability to engage with diverse communities, particularly Māori. The
project would operate in conjunction with the appointment of a PIJF funded Partnership Editor also applied
for in this round and currently recommended for funding.
190.  The project would operate in two parts, the first involving workshops for staff across a range of cultural
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competency issues and the second, the commissioning of a series of articles by Māori writers to directly
address existing shortcomings.
191.  The project meets the criteria of Round 3 to increase the quality of public interest journalism as well as
create defined content outputs from the project, and marks a completely new chapter in the relationship
between Al ied Press and tangata whenua.
192.

INFORMATION

193.

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194.  An indicative training plan outlines five workshops in Dunedin, and one session each in Queenstown,
Invercargill, Mid-Canterbury, and The West Coast.
195.

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196.  Among the measures of success for the project will be a growing diversity of stories across Al ied Press
platforms, a minimum of six long-form pieces of journalism by Māori writers, completed training modules for
staff on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, te reo, tikanga, kawa and unconscious bias and the appropriate use of te reo and
macrons in copy, and pronunciation in video stories.
Staff Opinion
197.  Similar to para 185 above, staff notes that this application has a strong Industry Development bent, which
was a strand of funding not available in this PIJF Round. However, as per the application above, this project
does fit the guidelines for ‘Projects demonstrating defined outputs and targets that support the professional
development and upskil ing of newsroom staff’. If funded

198.

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199.  Staff believes the Partnership Editor Role requires the support of this supplementary training project to
ensure success and the impacts of both the role and this project will be considerable on the quality of public
interest journalism produced by Allied as a result.
ACT
200.  Staff notes that Allied Press is one of only a few media organisations who have taken up the PIJF’s
THE
encouragement within its guidelines to provide Te Tiriti education and training for staff.
201.  This is a thorough application which meets the criteria of the round and will make a lasting difference to
diversity reporting in much of the South Island where Allied Press controls a large number of publications.
Funding is recommended up to $61,725 subject to

ATTACHMENTS
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Annex A: Shortlisted proposals recommended for decline at full proposal stage
Annex B: All Project proposals and funding decisions

INFORMATION

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AGENDA ITEM 2.11
PUBLIC INTEREST JOURNALISM – TARGETED ROLES
FUNDING DECISIONS
RECOMMENDATION
That the Staff Investment Committee approves funding up to:
• $108,000 to RNZ for 1 Kurawhakaue Partnership Editor Role, subject to
• $130,500 to Three – Local Production for 1 Newshub Cultural Partnership Navigator, subject to
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• $145,650 to Al ied Press for 1 Partnership Editor role, subject to
• $55,020 to Kowhai Media Ltd for 1  Kaiwhakatiki Hourua,  subject to
THE  ACT
• $68,250 to Te Pō Ltd for 1 Kawea Te Rongo Kaiwhakahaere, subject to
• $105,000 to GlobalHQ Ltd for 1 Digital Editor, subject to
• $105,450 to The Spinoff for 1 Sub-Editor role, subject to
• $200,280 to NZME for 1 Kaupapa Editor and 1 Audio Innovation role, subject to
• $95,040 to The Pantograph Punch Trust Board for 1 Business Development Role and 1 (3 month) Social Media
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Specialist, subject to
• $165,000 to Mana Trust for  an  Editor/Mentor  and a Digital Marketing Manager, subject to
• $75,000  to Tikilounge Productions for 1  Pasifika Youth Digital News Editor,
INFORMATION
• $91,679  to Newsroom NZ Ltd for  1  Sub  Editor  role,  subject to
• $103,000 to Stuff Ltd for 1 te reo Māori Translator role, subject to a
13 applications recommended for total funding of up to $1,447,869
RELEASED
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BACKGROUND
1.
In January 2021 Cabinet agreed to draw down $55 million over the next three years (2021 - 2023) from the
tagged contingency set aside by Cabinet for broadcasting initiatives. This funding will be administered by NZ
On Air to support the production of public interest journalism including Māori and Iwi journalism that is
relevant to and valued by New Zealanders.
2.
General Guidelines for the PIJF were published in April 2021. The principles set out in the Cabinet paper have
informed the design of the Public Interest Journalism Fund (PIJF). NZ On Air col aborated with Te Māngai
Pāho on the design and delivery of the fund.
3.
The PIJF is structured to support journalistic capability across three funding pillars: Projects, Roles, and
Industry Development.
             OVERVIEW
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4.
This third round of the Public Interest Journalism Fund sought applications to the Projects and Targeted Roles
pillars of the fund. Information for this Sep/Dec funding round outlined the assessment criteria and funding
priorities to applicants.
5.
NZ On Air earmarked $9m for this funding round and

ACT

THE
6.
Applicants were limited to applying for a maximum of one year of funding for up to three projects and/or up
to three targeted roles.
7.
Applications for Project funding (circa $7m allocated) were sought in the following areas:
•  News and Current Affairs Projects – including children’s and youth news
•  Investigative journalism projects
•  Projects that improve the overall quality, provision and/or sustainability of PIJ.
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8.
The criteria for Targeted Roles in this round (circa $2m allocated) were developed in response to industry
feedback and learnings after Round 2 which had focused purely on content-creation roles and Round 3
sought to encourage roles that supported the production and sustainability of high-quality public interest
journalism.
9.

Two roles were considered as part
INFORMATION
of the PIJF Children and Youth paper (agenda item 2.12) and the remaining   outlined in this paper are
recommended for funding up to $1,447,869

10.

RELEASED
11.  The Targeted Roles criteria included Partnership Editors funding. At the June 2021 PIJF summit,

presented an
opportunity to create new roles to sit alongside editors and bring a kaupapa Māori framework to newsrooms
and to build newsroom cultural capacity by creating roles to provide Māori leadership at the editorial level.
12.
worked with individual organisations that registered their interest in Round 2 to identify strengths and
weaknesses and help to create a bespoke role description for a Partnership Editor for that organisation.
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Those registered organisations could apply for funding in this round but due to the constrained nature of the
funding, we did not accept new expressions of interest for this role funding.
13.  For submission into Round 3,
worked closely with registered applicants to identify the cultural
strengths and weaknesses of the organisations, to create a unique job description for a role and to assess the
funding application to ensure each organisation’s ecosystem was ready to ensure the success of the role.
14.

15.  There was a two-stage application process for Round 3. Applicants were first asked to submit five-page
proposals by Thursday 30th September, which were individually assessed by panellists. A hui was then held
on Friday 8th of October. Shortlisted applications then submitted full proposals by Tuesday 26th of October.
Fol owing further individual assessment, a hui was held on Tuesday 2nd November to decide on the funding
recommendations outlined in this paper.
16.  The assessment panel for the PIJF Round 3 included:

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ACT

THE

d)
Raewyn Rasch (Ngāi Tahu) - NZ On Air Head of Journalism. Former General Manager Māori and
Pacific programmes at TVNZ, executive producer of Seven Sharp, producer of Fair Go and Marae
Investigates, TV and radio journalist.
e)
Glenn Usmar - Associate Head of Funding (Systems), NZ on Air. Former Programme Manager for
Rialto Channel, Sky TV, and Programmer at TVNZ.
f)
Gabriel Thomas  -  Journalism Manager, NZ On Air. Former executive producer of The Nation and
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Firstline, producer Newshub Live at 6pm.
g)
Fairooz Samy - Journalism Funding Advisor, NZ On Air. Current Media Studies PhD candidate at Victoria
University of Wellington.
17.  Conflicts of interest are outlined as below:
a)

did not take part in the assessment discussion for this application.  GENERAL
INFORMATION
ASSESSMEN
Kurawhakaue Partnership Editor


  RNZ

$108,000
Funding Requested
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18.  Targeted role funding to create a new Kurawhakaue Partnership Editor Role at RNZ.
Funding Recommendation
Role
Outputs
Salary
Est Associated costs
Kurawhakaue Partnership Editor Role  N/A

General Assessment
19.  RNZ was one of the newsrooms selected to take part in the Partnership Editor Scheme

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20.
surveyed staff and analysed RNZ structures to provide assessment of RNZ’s strengths and weaknesses
in the delivery of Māori news, content and use of te reo Māori.
21.

22.

23.  The proposal for a Kurawhakaue (person responsible for steering the waka) will see a new role capable of
OFFICIAL
working between the Kurahautū Māori, Māori Strategy Manager and newsroom content creators. The role
will be managed by the Kurahautū Māori, Māori Strategy Manager.
24.  The application states that the role will:
ACT
a.  Provide cultural competency guidance and training
THE
b.  Provide editorial assistance to strengthen all stories across all RNZ platforms
c.  Cultivate individual Rautaki Māori for each news show and specific RNZ content projects
d.  Operationalise the RNZ Rautaki Māori company wide and integrate relevant workstreams from Te
Tiriti o Waitangi strategic plan
e.  Be the kaitiaki of te reo Māori me ōna tikanga.
25.

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Staff Opinion
26.

ful y supports this position for funding.
27.

INFORMATION

28.

RELEASED
29.  While there are many expectations of this role identified in the application, a set of clear benchmark goals
should be created against which to measure the success of this funding.
30.  While the PIJF General Guidelines state there is limited eligibility for Crown-owned and funded public media
organisations such as RNZ, there is provision for roles “where the funded role is additional to roles that the
entity is currently funded for and where the funding does not duplicate other roles funded through the PIJF”.
The Kurawhakaue Partnership Editor Role is an entirely new role for RNZ and given the importance of this
mahi in  4
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the provision of quality public interest journalism, this role could provide critical hands-on cultural
competency that wil  have great impact for audiences both Māori and non-Māori. Funding is recommended
for up to $108,000 subject to

Cultural Partnerships Navigator
Newshub

Requested

Funding Requested
31.  Newshub is seeking to introduce a kaupapa Māori framework to its newsroom. Newshub is seeking funding
for a Cultural Partnerships Navigator,

Funding Recommendation
Role
Outputs
Salary p.a.
Est Associated costs
Cultural Partnerships Navigator
N/A

OFFICIAL
General Assessment
32.
reviewed Newshub’s strengths and weaknesses to help design a role that would best meet the needs of
the organisation and public interest journalism.
33.

THE  ACT
It says the organisation is committed to strengthening diversity across
the newsroom and to ensuring a culturally safe working environment.
34.  The review by
identifies the addition of a Cultural Partnerships Navigator to the senior news leadership
team, reporting directly to
as critical to the development of Newshub’s
Rautaki Māori.
35.  The role wil  enable Newshub to enhance its public interest journalism by:
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•  Developing and overseeing Newshub’s cultural strategy
•  Supporting and mentoring Māori and other ethnical y diverse staff to ensure their expertise is
retained in the industry
•  Guiding editorial leaders and decision makers to explore perspectives, angles, stories, and talent
from a range of communities
•  Advocating for coverage of diverse communities to overcome existing biases - conscious and
unconscious - that exist in the newsroom
INFORMATION
•  Mentoring the Māori Affairs, Pasifika Affairs and Asian Affairs correspondents
•  Increasing knowledge of Te Tiriti, reo, and tikanga Māori in Newshub’s newsrooms
•  Developing wider cultural knowledge of Pasifika and other diverse communities of Aotearoa
•  Creating connections and developing meaningful relationships between Newshub and mana
RELEASED
whenua and other diverse communities
•  Supporting journalists and presenters with correct pronunciation and use of te reo Māori, both on-
screen and in their interactions with Māori in person and online.
36.

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37.

38.

39.  Newshub says it is ready to grow diverse voices within its newsrooms and says it is proud to be a partner in
the PIJF-funded Te Rito cadetships project. It says being involved with Te Rito makes it even more important
to ensure its newsrooms are culturally safe places for cadet journalists. It has also received funding for Māori
Affairs, Pasifika and Asian Affairs correspondents from the PIJF which will also support and benefit from the
Cultural Partnerships Navigator role.
OFFICIAL
40.  Newshub’s Cultural Partnership Navigator will also be included in, and supported by, Discovery’s Global
MOSAIC network which is an initiative to amplify the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion impact across
key areas including unconscious bias training, content diversity, and recruitment and career development of
diverse talent.
THE  ACT
Staff Opinion
41.  Newshub has been especial y keen to be part of the Partnership Editor Scheme from the outset and their
involvement in Te Rito speaks to the organisation’s desire to improve its newsroom diversity and provision
of diverse content. The role wil  help support the success of both the Te Rito cadets assigned to Newshub
and the three Māori, Pasifika and Asian Affairs roles recently funded by the PIJF.
42.  The application outlines a strong position that will have impact within the organisation and
has
assessed Newshub as ready to make this position a success. All assessors were supportive of the application.
UNDER
43.  While Newshub has offered to use the
baseline data to measure relative changes in both the
quantitative and qualitative diversity of both the newsroom environment and content output, a set of clear
benchmark KPI goals should be provided to NZ On Air prior to contracting.
44.

INFORMATION
45.  While the training costs sought in the application wil  undoubtedly support the role and improve its chances
of success,

Newshub has clearly demonstrated a
commitment to change and assessors have no doubt this role wil  empower that change. This should see
RELEASED
improvements in how diverse audiences are portrayed and served on this major national media platform.
Funding is recommended up to $130,500 subject to

Partnership Editor Role
    Allied Press

$145,650
Funding Requested
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46.  To create a new role to sit alongside Allied Press editors and bring a kaupapa Māori framework to Allied
Press newsrooms, and to stories from the outset.
Funding Recommendation
Role
Outputs
Salary p.a.
Est Associated costs
Partnership Editor Role

General Assessment
47.  Allied Press publishes the Otago Daily Times and a stable of community newspaper titles around the lower
half of the South Island, Christchurch, Queenstown, and the West Coast.
48.  Allied Press took the opportunity to be part of the pilot Partnership Editor scheme
As part of
the scheme, Al ied Press undertook to engage with
to assess its cultural strengths and weaknesses and
the organisation’s ability and readiness to take on a partnership editor role and the steps needed to redress
issues raised.
OFFICIAL
49.

THE  ACT
50.  The funding request would establish a Partnership Editor at Allied Press sitting at the level of associate
editor, a senior position reporting to the editor and deputy editor. This would ensure the close working
relationship with the senior news executives necessary for success. The Partnership Editor would be based in
Dunedin but have a roving role, providing cultural and editorial support across Allied Press newsrooms and
to reporters while in the field.
51.  As part of the group’s editorial executive, the Partnership Editor role would work to build a kaupapa Māori
framework to inform the news agenda, identifying stories and increasing the range of voices interviewed.
52.  This role has several associated costs that are specific to this application.

UNDER

The role
application also covered some training costs including travel and allowances to allow the editor to provide in
newsroom cultural competency training across the Al ied Press group.
53.  Allied Press says the success of this role will be measured by:
INFORMATION
•  A growing diversity of stories across Allied Press platforms
•  Work towards a diversity plan for the organisation
•  The appropriate use of te reo and macrons in copy, and pronunciation in video stories
•  The creation of a diversity directory and diversity diary
RELEASED
•  Meetings with mana whenua representatives.

Staff Opinion
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54.  Assessors were impressed with the heartfelt nature of this application alongside the insight from AMC
regarding the significant journey Allied Press has been on to get to this point. There is no doubt the company
is willing to embrace the change and chal enge this role will bring for it and this is confirmed in

assessment which reads, “We support this proposal. The Allied Press leadership has been open and
motivated to create change. We commend them on their effort to establish the company’s first ever Rautaki
Māori. In this proposal the position of Partnership Editor has been elevated to a management level. We thank
Allied Press for working with us to achieve these meaningful changes.” All assessors were in favour of
funding this application.
55.

56.  The impact this role will likely have wil  be seen throughout most of the South Island as publications within
OFFICIAL
the Al ied Press group are offered training and support to improve their Māori engagement. Al ied Press has
also applied for project funding in this round to enable and resource this role to ensure the training support
that will be required to improve cultural competency across the Group and ensure this role is not swamped
by training and unable to contribute to editorial executive decision making.
ACT
57.

THE


58.

It was deemed by assessors that these additional costs
UNDER
were reasonable in this context, especially as they mostly relate to training. To fund the role without the
resources to ensure it is operational would significantly limit its potential success.
59.  While there are many expectations of this role identified in the application, a set of clear KPI benchmark
goals should be established to measure the success or otherwise of this funding.
60.  The need for this role and funding is best summed up in the applicant’s own words, “The history of this
country means there are issues across all rounds that continue to cry out for thoughtful journalism. A
INFORMATION
newsroom wil  not do a good job when the next He Puapua debate arrives, or the next time people discuss
Aotearoa as a name for the country, if a kaupapa Māori approach is not available. And these are just some of
the issues we know about. What of the issues of which we know nothing? What of the everyday stories of
struggle and success, of mātauranga reimagined and recast for the present, of fresh endeavour and
achievement that we are not reporting because we are not sufficiently wel  connected to the communities in
RELEASED
which it is happening. Journalism also has a role in advocacy, but how do you advocate for causes about
which you are ignorant.” Funding is recommended up to $145,650 subject to

Kaiwhakatiki Hourua

Kowhai Media Ltd

$55,020
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Funding Requested
61.  Kowhai Media (NZ Geographic magazine) is applying for a role it calls Kaiwhakatiki Hourua, with an aim of
strengthening its relationships with Māori and its Māori content. The role would be 0.5 FTE for one year.
Funding Recommendation
Role
Outputs
Salary
Est Associated costs
Kaiwhakatiki Hourua
N/A

General Assessment
62.  New Zealand Geographic has been published since 1989 and the entire archive is available online. The
Ministry of Education subscribes to the archive on behalf of al  NZ students.
63.

OFFICIAL

64.

65.  This role would be responsible for commissioning content, identifying Māori journalist talent within the
ACT
current line-up of contributors, and identifying new Māori contributors, and work with the editor to ensure a
THE
Māori perspective is included wherever necessary. They would also begin work on an organisational review
aimed at incorporating tikanga and Te Tiriti principles throughout the organisation, and they would review
the archive to seek out content that needs updating or correcting.
66.  A particular focus editorially would be an explanation of He Puapua, making clear its meaning for a
mainstream audience, but with a Māori lens.
67.
they are proposing a part-time role rather than full-time. The role would
be on the same level of seniority as the editor.
UNDER
68.

Staff Opinion
69.  Assessors saw this as an important role, which meets the criteria of the Public Interest Journalism Fund by
promoting Māori voices in mainstream media. One assessor said the application, “clearly meets the criteria
and represents a small team that would like to make a positive change to the way they have previously
INFORMATION
presented Māori issues and impacted on the perception that people have of Māori.”
70.  Kowhai Media appears to be very committed to making the changes necessary to make this role a success
and assessors noted that the application represented value for money as a part-time resource that could
make a significant impact on the publication’s output, especially given its sizeable young audience.
RELEASED
71.  This role will deliver to PIJF goals of redressing the inequities in Māori coverage and engagement and could
also be an example of what others could do, with one assessor saying this role would be “an appointment
with real clout that could set the bar for other media organisations.”
72.  Funding up to $55,020 is recommended subject to

Kawea te Rongo Kaiwhakahaere

Te Po Ltd

$68,250
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Funding Requested
73.  Kawea te Rongo (Māori Journalists Aotearoa) is applying for a part time (0.5FTE) Kaiwhakahaere to support
the executive.

Funding Recommendation
Role
Outputs
Salary
Est Associated costs
Kaiwhakahaere
N/A

General Assessment
74.  Kawea te Rongo is an industry association newly reformed to protect the interests of Māori journalists.

OFFICIAL

75.  All the board are working journalists and the application states they have been unable to carry out many of
the tasks they would like to do on behalf of the association. Therefore, they are asking for funding for
someone to support the executive with administrative tasks, manage funding applications, liaise with
ACT
stakeholders including media organisations and the relevant Government ministers, and communicate to
THE
members.
76.  One of the aims of the PIJF is to increase the number of Māori journalists in the workforce, and this increase
means an organisation like Kawea te Rongo plays an important role. And as the supporting letter from the
co-Chairs of Kawea te Rongo points out, PIJF funding should lead to even more Māori journalists coming into
the sector in the near future, potentially increasing the organisation’s requirements and workload.
77.

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Staff Opinion
78.  The association has significant plans in terms of training, mentoring, and improving output of all Māori
journalists. One assessor described this as, “an important role that wil  assist the entire Māori journalism
sector.”
79.  This is an administrative role for an organisation that isn’t directly creating journalism content. This did lead
to some discussion between assessors. But overall, assessors felt that Kawea te Rongo provides essential
support for the sector, and especially the new Māori journalists being brought into the industry via the PIJF.
INFORMATION
80.  Kawea te Rongo’s impact will be widespread, but only if it has the resources to do its work, and currently
there is no funding for anyone to do that work. The assessors felt the PIJF is the right place to provide that
support at this time. Funding up to $68,250 is recommended subject to

RELEASED

Various Targeted Roles

GlobalHQ Ltd

Requested

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Funding Requested
81.  GlobalHQ has applied for
to support the expansion of their online news offering

Funding Recommendation
Role
Outputs
Salary
Est Associated costs
Digital Editor
N/A

General Assessment
82.  GlobalHQ publishes Farmers Weekly and Dairy Farmer in print, farmersweekly.co.nz, as well as other
publications and agribusiness data and reports for subscribers from AgriHQ. GlobalHQ’s main news outlet
currently is Farmers Weekly, which is delivered in hard copy to every farm in New Zealand for free
(distribution 77,216).
83.  Despite the importance of the sector and the size of the rural population, there are few rural news options in
New Zealand. Most are dominated by sponsored content, with RNZ and Farmers Weekly the only exceptions
OFFICIAL
of any size.
84.  Currently Farmers Weekly is replicated online at farmersweekly.co.nz, and this funding application outlines
how GlobalHQ would like to expand that online offering.

THE  ACT
85.  They want to increase the quality and quantity of news available online and request the following roles:
•

•  Digital Editor – to improve the user experience of the website, repurpose content from print,
video, and podcast for online, and increase diversity content by actively seeking Māori contributors
•

UNDER
86.  The application expresses a commitment to Te Tiriti and gives some examples including use of te reo and
stories focused on Māori.
87.

Staff Opinion
INFORMATION
88.  Assessors were complimentary about the current product, Farmers Weekly, saying despite being a niche
outlet, it has some great examples of Public Interest Journalism such as stories on climate change and a
video project telling the story of diverse farmers around the country. There was enthusiasm for supporting a
sustainable transition from print towards improving its online offering.
RELEASED
89.  Assessors felt that the rural audience is underserved by the mainstream news media and there are few
specialist outlets filling that gap. Support was across the board with one assessor saying, “The importance of
the primary industry to Aotearoa - and the need for good PIJ in this sector - make this a standout proposal in
my view. “
90.

The Digital Editor role presented the best link to PIJ goals and is also the
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role highlighted by GlobalHQ as their priority if they could only have one role funded. If funded, the
applicant would need to provide clear KPI measurement goals.
91.  Assessors believe this role will have a positive impact on an established rural media player looking to reach a
larger audience within the rural community and meets PIJF goals of increasing sustainability. Funding is
recommended up to $105,000 for the role of Digital Editor subject to

Various Targeted Roles

The Spinoff

Requested

Funding Requested
92.  The Spinoff seeks
to support the development of high-quality public interest journalism: a Sub-
Editor,

OFFICIAL
Funding Recommendation
Role
Outputs
Salary
Est Associated costs
Sub-Editor
N/A

General Assessment
THE  ACT
93.  The speed at which journalism is now produced, published, and consumed has increased the need for sharp
sub-editors. Despite this, sub-editing capacity across the industry has been systematically slashed over the
past two decades, which in turn has compromised the quality of journalism across the industry.
94.  The Spinoff Sub-Editor would edit approximately
developing practices that enhance
accessibility (e.g. captioning and alternative text); upskilling the team through internal workshops; and
working towards the development of a style guide. Their duties would also include fact-checking and
assessing risk from a legal perspective. Currently at The Spinoff, sub-editing duties are shared across several
roles, which is unsustainable and creates an unnecessary level of risk.
UNDER
95.

96.

INFORMATION

97.

RELEASED
98.

99.

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100.

Staff Opinion
101.  Staff and assessors felt that the Sub-Editor role best fit the guidelines for this round and would improve the
quality of PIJ produced by The Spinoff.
102.  A key strength of the application in the assessors’ eyes was that the Spinoff’s proposal demonstrates an
achievable pathway for financing the role after funding has finished.
103.

OFFICIAL
104.  The Sub-Editor role would make a clear difference to the quality of the PIJ output of The Spinoff. Funding is
recommended for the Sub-Editor role for up to $105,450 subject to

ACT

THE
Various Targeted Roles

NZME

Requested

Funding Requested
105.  The NZME application is for
targeted roles – a Kaupapa Māori Editor,
an Audio Innovation
Editor,
, to increase and amplify their current
journalistic outputs.
Funding Recommendation
UNDER
Role
Outputs
Salary p.a.
Est Associated costs
Kaupapa Māori Editor
N/A

Audio Innovation Editor
N/A

General Assessment
106.  NZME has received a significant amount of funding from the PIJF in Rounds 1 and 2, including for Te Rito and
the Open Justice scheme. In Round 3 they applied for

and one which is recommended for
INFORMATION
funding, and these
roles:
•  The Kaupapa Māori Editor would be part of the senior editorial team and would help put a Māori focus
on storytelling across all content and platforms. They would deliver training for the newsroom on
tikanga and help develop and strengthen relationships with mana whenua and Māori organisations.
RELEASED
•

•  An Audio Innovation Editor, who would work to increase the amount of content available to the blind
or sight impaired. Blind Low Vision NZ supports this application, and this role would work with them to
find new solutions.
•

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•

107.

Staff Opinion
108.

OFFICIAL
109.


110.  Staff grappled with the application for the Kaupapa Māori Editor, as on the one hand, it is clearly needed by
NZME, it demonstrates commitment to Te Tiriti as it ladders out of their wider proposed organisational
THE  ACT
cultural strategy programme, and it would deliver on the PIJF criteria to improve representative public
interest journalism being produced by NZME.

111.

UNDER

112.  There was overwhelming support from assessors for the Audio Innovation Editor. The PIJF has had few
applications offering solutions for accessibility for disabled communities and this is an opportunity to do
INFORMATION
that. One of the assessors pointed out that the role “would provide much-needed and rarely-provided access
for audience members with low vision”. Support from Blind Low Vision NZ and a commitment to work with
them gave assessors confidence that progress wil  be able to be made on this.
113.  The Kaupapa Māori Editor and the Audio Innovation Editor reflect different aspects of the PIJF goals, bringing
public interest journalism to different audiences. Funding is recommended up to $200,280 for the Kaupapa
RELEASED
Māori Editor and the Audio Innovation Editor subject to

Two Targeted Roles              The Pantograph Punch
         $95,040
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Funding Requested
114.  The Pantograph Punch is seeking Targeted Role funding for a Business Development Contractor (1 year,
fixed-term) and Social Media Specialist (3-month contract) between January – December 2022.
Funding Recommended
Role
Outputs
Salary
Est Associated costs
Business Development Role
N/A

Social Media Specialist contractor
N/A

General Assessment
115.  The Pantograph Punch is an arts and culture digital magazine that has been operating for a decade.
116.  It is proposing to hire a Business Development Contractor (1 year) to develop sustainable ways forward for
arts journalism through new business development opportunities.
117.

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118.

119.  The magazine also seeks funding for a Social Media Specialist (3 months)

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120.  As a digital-only producer with a largely younger audience, The Pantograph Punch intends for the Social
Media Specialist to increase audience engagement and train existing staff to translate longform written
journalism into video content to share over social media.
121.  The outcomes of the contracted specialist wil  be expected to increase The Pantograph Punch’s audience by
and demonstrate higher engagement with Māori, Pacific and Asian audiences.
122.  The Pantograph Punch has a stated commitment to Te Tiriti and is Māori-led by

Both proposed roles would support The Pantograph Punch to continue this work and further
amplify Māori voices.
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123.  Over the past 12 months, 70% of The Pantograph Punch’s content was by Māori, Pacific, Asian, or other
diverse voices. Additionally, a quarter of its coverage focused on artists and arts activities outside of the
main city centres.
Staff Opinion
124.  Staff felt this was a targeted proposal that would help develop the sustainability of a quality publication and
hopefully expand its audience through social media. They also felt the roles very clearly met the guidelines
for the round. If funded, the applicant would need to provide clear KPI measurement goals.
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125.  Assessors agreed that The Pantograph Punch, while smal , punches above its weight in terms of providing
PIJF arts-focused journalism in Aotearoa (which is at-risk journalism) and would benefit from the
sustainability and visibility of a wider audience reach.
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126.  One assessor responded that, “the arts community is not wel  served by mainstream media, yet they are
important to the health, life and economy of a country. The arts contribute $17.5 bil ion to the economy but
the sector goes largely un-scrutinised by the media. Scrutiny helps keep artists accountable for public funding
and helps inform and engage the public about their work”.
127.  Funding is recommended up to $95,040 subject to

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Two Targeted Roles

Mana Trust

$165,000
Funding Requested
128.  Mana Trust (E Tangata) is applying for two roles – an Editor / Mentor and a Digital Marketing Manager - to
support the production and sustainability of public interest journalism serving primarily Māori and Pacific
communities.
Funding Recommended
Role
Outputs
Salary p.a.
Est Associated costs p.a.
Editor / Mentor
N/A

Digital Marketing Manager
N/A

General Assessment
129.  Online magazine E Tangata is currently run
the application describes how
plans to grow will rely on having these senior roles funded. Mana Trust had funding approved in PIJF Round
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2 for four reporters, although those reporters have not been hired yet and the contract has not been
initiated by Mana Trust.
130.  The Editor / Mentor would provide support and guidance to those reporters, and the many other
contributors, as well as having editorial oversight and planning coverage.
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131.  The Digital Marketing Manager would work to increase the audience for E Tangata and would also work with
partners such as Te Ao with Moana, to increase the profile of Māori and Pasifika media in general.
132.

133.  The application mentions the possibility of splitting the Editor role between two people, suggesting they may
have people in mind already.
Staff Opinion
134.  The assessment panel was very complimentary about E Tangata as a product, with one saying “The
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contribution that E Tangata makes to the public interest journalism space is hugely important to Māori and
Pacific voices.”
135.  There was an understanding that although the product is good and that we have supported it by recently
funding four reporting roles, support from non-content creating roles would benefit such a lean organisation
and improve the quality of journalism, a key criterion for the PIJF.

136.  Mana Trust presented a compelling case for why non content-creation roles were critical to achieving the
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broader goals of the PIJF by stating that without crucial support staff, many media organisations would not
be sustainable or able to maintain quality journalism – despite receiving funding for new reporter roles.
137.  Assessors echoed this belief noting the greatest risk to a small producer like Mana Trust is its sustainability
and agreed that both the proposed roles were important operationally to mitigate that risk.
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138.  The assessment panel felt these two roles would make a significant difference to Mana Trust and ensure
roles already funded would be wel  supported both now and into the future. Funding up to $165,000 is
recommended subject to

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Targeted Roles

Tikilounge Productions Ltd

Requested

Funding Requested
139.  Tikilounge is applying for
roles for the Coconet TV – a Pasifika Youth Digital News Editor

- to diversify news distribution across its digital channels.
Funding Recommended
Role
Outputs  Salary p.a.
Est Associated
costs
Pasifika Youth Digital News Editor
  N/A

General Assessment
140.  Coconet.TV is a website hosting Pasifika stories from around the world. They have a strong social media
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presence and growing numbers visiting the website and YouTube channel.
141.  Tikilounge sought funding in Round 1 to boost their news content output, and to train young Pasifika
reporters. This initiative is currently underway. Their Round 3 roles application highlights the importance of
social media to Coconet.TV, saying young Pasifika are currently missing out on news because it is not being
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provided to them on their natural platforms.
THE
142.  It is proposed that the Pasifika Youth Digital News Editor would curate and commission stories with social
media platforms in mind and would need to be someone with strong connections to young Pasifika
communities to know what stories they want told. News has not been prominent on the website in the past
and although this role will allow that growth, the proposal does not outline how much content would need
to be processed.
143.

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144.

Staff Opinion
145.  As the PIJF seeks to find ways to reach Pasifika audiences, staff has kept in mind that young people are less
likely to be discovering and consuming journalism through traditional channels. Social media and other
digital platforms are increasingly important, and the applications speaks to that.
146.  The assessors supported Coconet.TV as a platform given it has high shareability and visibility on social media
INFORMATION
channels and attracts an impressive audience. One assessor noted that the “application supports NZOA's
kaupapa that content should reflect diverse communities and offer them a voice.”
147.

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148.

assessors felt it was judicious to prioritise funding the Pasifika Youth Digital News Editor

Funding of up to $75,000 is
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recommended for one role subject to

Targeted Roles

Newsroom Ltd

Requested

Funding Requested
149.  Newsroom is applying for
– a Sub-Editor
– to increase the
quantity and quality of articles published, help build audience and attract younger readers.
Funding Recommended
Role
Outputs
Salary p.a.  Est Associated costs
Sub-Editor  Newsroom output increased by at least two stories per week.

General Assessment
150.  Newsroom has received funding from the PIJF in the previous two rounds and has also applied in this round
for project funding for Newsroom Investigates and for a climate change interview series. Both are
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recommended for funding.
151.  Newsroom says at present its senior writers are carrying out additional sub-editing duties and having a
dedicated Sub-Editor would not only improve the quality of output but increase output by at least two
additional public interest journalism stories per week, as a result of freeing those senior writers up.
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Newsroom also says in its application that it has more content available to it than it can publish, because of
the lack of a dedicated Sub-Editor.
152.  The Sub-Editor would also provide guidance on structure and writing for less experienced contributors and
would also sub edit Electronic Direct Mail Outs (EDMs), which play an important role in engaging and
growing Newsroom’s audience.
153.

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154.

Staff Opinion
155.  Newsroom has consistently shown commitment to public interest journalism and has also stated its
INFORMATION
commitment to Te Tiriti principles. The assessors consider it an experienced team producing quality PIJ.
156.  The application includes clear outputs particularly around the Sub-Editor freeing up senior writers, which
assessors saw as a great advantage and a boost for the company’s public interest journalism outputs. If
funded, the applicant would need to provide clear KPI measurement goals.
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157.

158.
The Sub-
Editor was seen as the most likely to make the greatest impact in terms of PIJF outcomes and goals to more
directly increase the quality and output of PIJ. It was Newsroom’s priority role

159.  Funding of up to $91,679 is recommended for the sub-editor role subject to

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Various Targeted Roles

Stuff Ltd

Requested $401,906
Funding Requested
160.  Stuff is applying for funding for

a te reo Translator.
Funding Recommended
Role
Outputs
Salary p.a.
Est Associated costs
Te Reo Translator
2-3 stories per workday, plus special projects.

General Assessment
161.  Stuff has received considerable funding in earlier rounds of the PIJF and has also applied in this round for
Stuff Circuit (recommended for funding)
The

OFFICIAL
applied for are all described as amplifying Stuff’s public interest journalism outputs and bringing them
to different audiences.
162.

ACT
THE

163.

164.  Despite te reo being an official language, very few mainstream media players offer news in te reo Māori.
Stuff proposes having a te reo Translator permanently based in the newsroom to translate
stories per
day, including subtitles for video. Priority would be given to major news stories of the day like news about
COVID-19, and special projects could be translated in advance.

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Staff Opinion
165.

assessors
considered an on-staff te reo Māori Translator as an innovative role that met PIJF goals and should therefore
be supported.
INFORMATION
166.  The te reo Translator role would contribute to PIJF goals by bringing public interest journalism to a new
audience. It is hoped that one major outlet having such a role on staff could encourage others to fol ow suit.
One assessor noted that “te reo translators wil  become an essential part of a newsroom eventually, but
media organisations might need support to set them up.”
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167.  Stuff has made considerable changes within its newsroom to show its commitment to Te Tiriti and a
bicultural kaupapa, and this would boost what it has already done.

168.  Assessors believe this is an important role in normalising te reo in mainstream media and will hopefully bring
public interest journalism to a different audience. Funding up to $103,000 for a te reo Translator is
recommended subject to

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OFFICIAL

THE  ACT



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INFORMATION



RELEASED
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AGENDA ITEM 2.12
PUBLIC INTEREST JOURNALISM – CHILDREN AND YOUTH
FUNDING DECISIONS
RECOMMENDATION
That the Staff Investment Committee approves funding of up to:
Projects:
•
$653,773 to Luke Nola & Friends for Kea Kids News subject to
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•
$517,364 to TVNZ for Kids Kōrero subject to
•
$264,386 to Mahi Tahi Media for Ohinga 2 subject to
•
$28,240 to Te Parerē for Te Parerē National Māori Students Magazine subject to
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Targeted Roles:
•
$20,000 to Radio One 91FM for Digital Content Editor subject to
•
$32,916 to Campus Radio 95bFM Ltd for 95bFM Sub-Editor subject to
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6 applications recommended for total funding of up to $1,516,679
application recommended for decline seeking a total of
BACKGROUND
1.
In January 2021 Cabinet agreed to draw down $55m over the next three years (2021 - 2023) from the tagged
INFORMATION
contingency set aside by Cabinet for broadcasting initiatives. This funding will be administered by NZ On Air
to support the production of public interest journalism including Māori and Iwi journalism that is relevant to
and valued by New Zealanders.
2.
General Guidelines for the PIJF were published in April 2021. The principles set out in the Cabinet paper have
informed the design of the Public Interest Journalism Fund (PIJF). NZ On Air col aborated with Te Māngai
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Pāho on the design and delivery of the fund.
3.
The PIJF is structured to support journalistic capability across three funding pillars: Projects, Roles and
Industry Development.
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ROUND OVERVIEW
4.
This third round of the Public Interest Journalism Fund sought applications to the Projects and Targeted
Roles pillars of the fund. Information for this Sep/Dec funding round outlined the assessment criteria and
funding priorities to applicants.
5.
NZ On Air earmarked $9m for this funding round

6.
Applicants were limited to applying for up to three projects and/or up to three targeted roles.
7.
Applications for Project funding (circa $7m allocated) were sought in the following areas:
•  News and Current Affairs Projects – including children’s and youth news
•  Investigative journalism projects
•  Projects that improve the overall quality, provision and/or sustainability of PIJ

OFFICIAL
8.
The criteria for Targeted Roles in this round (circa $2m allocated) were developed in response to industry
feedback and learnings after Round 2, that had focused purely on content-creation  roles and sought to
encourage roles that supported the production and sustainability of high-quality public interest journalism.
9.
Applicants were encouraged to support children’s news (6-12) and youth news (13+) with proposals that
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provided PIJ to younger audiences enabling them to connect with news and current affairs as they prepare
to engage in the democratic process.
10.  A full list of submitted Children and Youth SIC applications is attached as Annex A.
11.

12.  Criteria for this genre were required to demonstrate cost effective and sustainable plans to engage with and
deliver PIJ to children and youth audiences along with strong cultural inclusivity plans and commitment to Te
Tiriti o Waitangi.
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13.  There was a two-stage application process for Round 3. Applicants were first asked to submit five-page
proposals by Thursday 30th September 2021, which were individually assessed by panellists. A hui was then
held on Friday 8th of October 2021. Shortlisted applications then submitted ful  proposals by Tuesday 26th
of October 2021. Following further individual assessment, a hui was held on Tuesday 2nd November to
decide on the funding recommendations outlined in this paper.
14.  The assessment panel for the PIJF Round 3 included:-
INFORMATION

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d.  Raewyn Rasch (Ngāi Tahu) - NZ On Air Head of Journalism. Former General Manager Māori and
Pacific programmes at TVNZ, executive producer of Seven Sharp, producer of Fair Go and Marae
Investigates, TV and radio journalist.
e.  Glenn Usmar - Associate Head of Funding (Systems), NZ on Air. Former Programme Manager for
Rialto Channel, Sky TV, and Programmer at TVNZ.
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f.  Gabriel Thomas - Journalism Manager, NZ On Air. Former executive producer of The Nation and
Firstline, producer Newshub Live at 6pm.
g.  Fairooz Samy - Journalism Funding Advisor, NZ On Air. Current Media Studies PhD candidate at
Victoria University of Wellington.
15.  Conflicts of interest are outlined as below. Funding assessors did not have access to the funding application
and were removed from the funding decisions for these applications.
a.

did not assess this application or take part in the assessment discussion
for this project.

GENERAL ASSESSMENT & STAFF OPINION
KEA Kids News                Luke Nola and Friends                       $653,773
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Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

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Synopsis
16.  Established in 2019, KEA Kids News is a project aimed at tamariki aged between 6-12 years. Its proposed
output is 80 stories (4’) across Stuff, TVNZ, YouTube, and HEIHEI platforms, and 80 stories (2’) on Instagram.
The stories would run over 20 weeks between Jan-Jun 2022.
General Assessment
17.  KEA Kids News was originally funded from one-off government funding to create a child-centred news pilot
to increase children’s media literacy and engage them in civics happening here and around the world. The
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pilot was awarded $1m funding in March 2019 as an out-of-time SIC decision, and subsequently received a
further $1m in the May 2020 round to create a partial second season. It then applied to extend Season 2 into
2021 being awarded $608,461 for Season 2B comprising 40 episodes.
18.  KEA Kids News has produced over 346 episodes since 2019. According to a BSA 2020 survey cited in the
proposal, KEA Kids News’ first season was ranked as the fourth most-liked children’s show made in Aotearoa.

INFORMATION
19.  Its format is a mixture of current affairs news topics and child-specific news delivered “for tamariki, by
tamariki”. Children both act as presenters and are included as interviewees. It includes the use of animated
explainers for complex topics such as COVID-19 and MMP.

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20.

21.  KEA Kids News uses its network of teachers and principals around the country to facilitate monthly
workshops with tamariki. These serve as audition spaces for kid presenters and interviewees and
opportunities to gather information about tamariki worldviews. It also enables KEA Kids News’ inclusion
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strategy of showcasing on-screen diversity across ethnicity, geographic location, gender, and disability. The
strategy involves ongoing relationship-building with people in these communities/regions.
22.  According to the proposal, KEA Kids News has seen an increase in on-screen Māori presenters for its second
season
and the production consults cultural facilitator
for
guidance around iwi relationships, Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership advice and te ao Māori in general. The
correct use of te reo Māori and accurate translations and subtitles are overseen by a reo-speaking
production team member and
In Season 2B, a new Senior Director
was hired who delivered three highly rated episodes of KEA Kids
News entirely in te reo Māori.
23.  To contribute to diverse industry development and have rangatahi perspectives for Season 2B, production
hired three pre-graduate Māori and Pasifika trainees.
24.  The proposal also lists a COVID-19 lockdown strategy and cites examples of stories produced while under
lockdown as evidence of its ability to continue producing stories remotely.  OFFICIAL
25.  KEA Kids News has had access to politicians and public figures for interviews (such as the Prime Minister) and
strong commercial relationships with brands such as

Staff Opinion
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26.  Assessors felt that KEA Kids News had strong brand recognition with tamariki, parents, and educators, and
an established audience base that continues to grow.
27.  Assessors agreed that the application met the requirements of the funding round. It has a history of PIJ news
stories, centres tamariki in the news delivery process, and has an ongoing commitment to the principles of
Te Tiriti.
28.  Additionally, assessors were impressed by KEA Kids News’ cultural strategy and intention to continue
fostering relationships with diverse communities.
29.  One assessor explained that KEA Kids News had “demonstrated it can deliver high quality kids' news and
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engagement. It provides kids involvement and gets to a wide range of areas which gives kids throughout the
country an opportunity to experience journalism”.
30.  Another assessor praised the workshops and mentoring opportunities as demonstrating a “strong Kaupapa
around developing young people”.
31.  KEA Kids News continues to deliver to its original intent of increasing children’s media literacy and engaging
them in civics happening here and around the world. It has shown it can operate during the most trying of
times under COVID-19 and is innovating and delivering to where young audiences are on social media. It has
INFORMATION
met the funding constraints of this round by

Funding is recommended up to $653,773 subject to

Kids Kōrero                        TVNZ

       $517,364
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Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
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32.  Kids Kōrero is a weekly drop made up of ‘tamariki friendly’ news bulletins and graphical explainers taking on
big questions that have direct relevance for kids in a language they understand.
33.  Outputs include 30 x 5' linear videos, 30 x 2' explainers, and 30 x 5' podcasts

34.  Content would be distributed over TVNZ (TVNZ 2, TVNZ OnDemand, Papa Kāinga), RNZ (podcast and radio
slot), social media and digital platforms (TikTok, Facebook, YouTube).
General Assessment
35.  Kids Kōrero is a collaboration with RNZ to provide News and Current Affairs content (visual and audio) for the
tamariki of Aotearoa on various platforms. There are three options for content delivery; linear, digital, and
podcast.
36.  The linear option would run segments on TVNZ 2 as part of The Feed, a new tamariki slot running from
3:30pm-5pm on weekdays that was recently funded in the general Aug/Sep round.
37.  The digital option would run one explainer per week over TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube. It would sit on
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TVNZ OnDemand (plus Home Learning On Demand) and RNZ’s Story Time, as well as potentially in
classrooms across the motu.
38.  The podcast option involves RNZ re-versioning content for radio and creating a soundscape to produce a
podcast which would be available on RNZ, Apple, and Spotify.
ACT
39.  The proposal stresses that Kids Kōrero is NOT linear content being repurposed for digital – it is an offering for
THE
both, tailor made for each format.
40.
will develop a bespoke cultural integrity rautaki for this
project. The strategy would ensure correct pronunciation and use of te reo Māori, aim for at least a third of
explainers to come from te ao Māori, and build cultural competency in a bi-cultural newsroom. Additionally,
the rautaki would ensure that kaimahi (staff) are operating in a culturally safe space by ensuring correct
tikanga is maintained across the production.
41.  Topics include idea such as;

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42.

43.  The core demographic is tamariki

Staff Opinion
44.  Assessors felt the project’s measurable outputs, demonstrated need, clear explanations of the format, and
INFORMATION
relevant news topic examples made the proposal a strong one. They were impressed that the proposal
showed an understanding of the unique content and safety considerations that come with creating tamariki-
appropriate news and working with tamariki.
45.  Assessors felt the proposal represented a timely opportunity for a mainstream broadcaster to engage young
people in discussions on current affairs. They appreciated the col aboration shown between TVNZ and RNZ,
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noting that it would provide multiple avenues for consumption and lead to wider audience reach.
46.  An assessor wrote, “a new kaupapa, the proposal appears to speak clearly to the interests of the target
audience. The format is pitched in a way that meets the comprehension level of the intended audience while
stil  speaking to key issues impacting our society. I note that a significant portion of the stories/topics covered
wil  have direct relevance to Māori and Pasifika viewers. I also note that Kids Kōrero wil  ensure that it
reflects and includes Māori perspectives, language and culture across all its content and wil  actively promote
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the principles of Partnership, Participation and Active Protection under Te Tiriti o Waitangi acknowledging
Māori as a Te Tiriti partner”.
47.  While it is acknowledged that the PIJF has limited eligibility for Crown-owned and funded public media
organisations, assessors noted that this project is a unique col aboration and one of the stronger projects in
the round. It wil  deliver critical PIJ to younger audiences and it was felt funding going to TVNZ and content
to RNZ was justified on this basis this is new content
.

48.  Given the widespread concerns at the lack of engagement from children and youth in news and journalism
any moves to lift this engagement will have long term benefits. The needs of the Children and Youth
audience were felt to be best served by the funding of this application. Funding is recommended up to
$517,364 subject to

Ohinga 2               Mahi Tahi Media
$264,386
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Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

ACT
Synopsis
THE
49.  Ohinga 2 explores Aotearoa through the lens of rangatahi reo Māori with a current affairs edge. The second
season will deliver 50 (approx. 4’ duration) stories that are separated into three content streams:

. Production and delivery of episodes will occur between
on primary platform Re: (TVNZ).
General Assessment
50.  Ohinga is an independently te reo Māori rangatahi series produced by Māori production company Mahi Tahi
Media. Its first pilot series funded by Re: (TVNZ) proved so successful,

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51.

52.  Ohinga creates video content which feature rangatahi of Māori descent sharing personal stories that relate
to a current affairs topic, in fluent te reo Māori. Subtitles are provided in English.
53.  Season 2 proposes three content streams for episodes.

INFORMATION
54.
would investigate or unpack a current affairs issue relevant to rangatahi. Topics
for Season 2 include

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55.
are one-off stories that reveal the people, places and events our rangatahi
audience need to know about. Two suggested stories are

56.
are responsive stories that use social media formats to get news out quickly and in
ways that include the audience in the discussion. Pitches include

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57.  The Ohinga concept centres on providing development opportunities for rangatahi Māori creatives and
journalists to express themselves while growing their fundamental journalistic skills.
58.  Production company Mahi Tahi Media have partnered with TVNZ, Re: and Te Māngai Pāho to work
collaboratively on creating pathways for professional growth by

59.

Staff Opinion
60.  Assessors unanimously supported this application and were very impressed with the strategy laid out for
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Season 2. One assessor commented that the application “includes all the PIJF criteria, especially
sustainability through training, mentoring and producing opportunities for rangatahi”.
61.  Assessors felt the application presented access to an important rangatahi audience and provided a te ao
Māori platform for reaching, and showcasing, Māori youth. It was significant that Ohinga is entirely in te reo
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and its viewership and engagement figures was evidence of its relatability with rangatahi.
62.  Assessors felt that Ohinga was good value for money since Season 2

saying, “the budget is reasonable and with one season underway, it
is building momentum and recognition”. They also noted the clear commitment to Te Tiriti principles and
towards incorporating a Kaupapa of professional support and mentorship.
63.  This is a high-quality production which has demonstrated it can deliver te reo Māori content to rangatahi
and meet the criteria of public journalism both in the topics it tackles and its audience engaging storytelling.
It is giving voice to rangatahi who generally in mainstream media have none. The funding co-share with Te
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Māngai Pāho also makes it an attractive proposal. Funding is recommended up to $264,386 subject to

Te Pararē National Māori Students Magazine
Te Pararē
$28,240
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

INFORMATION
Synopsis
64.  Established in 2019, Te Pararē is the magazine of Te Mana Ākonga, the National Māori Tertiary Students’
Association. It seeks project funding to create 32 digital issues across the 2022 academic year.
65.  Outputs include 32 digital issues consisting of news articles and investigative feature stories, at least half of
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which would cover issues

66.  Funding includes

General Assessment
67.  Te Mana Ākonga is an organisation whose whakapapa traces back to the early Māori student leaders such as

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68.  In 2020 the number of Māori tertiary students in Aotearoa was estimated at 69,730. Te Pararē was
established to fill a gap in Aotearoa’s student magazine landscape. Of the current tertiary publications, only a
few publish issues on kaupapa Māori/te ao Māori for their audiences in any given year.
69.  One example is Salient magazine's Te Ao Marama issue at Victoria University of Wellington - Te Herenga
Waka (funded by PIJF in Round 1) which received support from Te Pararē as part of their successful
application and execution of the project.
70.  Te Pararē has thus far

it has published several pieces of well-
received PIJ from an ākonga Māori perspective, a perspective which largely goes unnoticed or is misreported
in the mainstream media.
71.  The proposal states that Te Pararē values collaboration and

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72.

73.  Current Te Pararē editor
, with support from
wil  oversee recruitment
and training, and provide ongoing support.
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Staff Opinion
74.  Assessors thought that Te Pararē is uniquely placed to reach an important and underserved audience. Its
content sharing would also support mainstream student magazines to grow their Māori content offerings at
a regional level.
75.  Additionally, this collaboration would enhance student media’s capabilities to advocate for the development
and publication of rangatahi Māori student journalists.
76.  Assessors felt that Te Pararē demonstrates a strong commitment to the principles of Te Tiriti in producing
bilingual and te reo Māori content.
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77.  Assessors thought the magazine had demonstrated good col aboration

78.  Assessors felt that the magazine is a unique opportunity to encourage and distribute the voices and views of
future Māori leaders. It could also serve as a training ground for future Māori journalists, and the overall
budget was good value for money.
INFORMATION
79.  One assessor highlighted Te Pararē’s value as a platform for rangatahi Māori writers, saying “Te Pararē is
based in tikanga Māori and te ao Māori and provides a unique platform for Māori writers at the tertiary level
to publish content within a journalistic framework.

continues to
deliver content that is shared across other student media platforms, benefiting their student audiences. This
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type of publication has the potential to reach and platform Māori students and funding would enable these
goals”. Funding is recommended up to $28,240 subject to

Digital Content Editor            Radio One 91FM
$20,000
Role
Outputs
Salary
Est Associated Costs
Digital Content Editor  3-4 written articles and

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appended soundbites per weekday on the
station’s website, social media posts daily, full
audio bul etins on iTunes and Spotify
Synopsis
80.  Radio One 91FM seeks funding for the targeted role of part-time Digital Content Editor (15 hours per week)
who would take on-air weekday news content at Radio One 91FM and distribute it across online channels.
81.  Outputs would consist of 3-4 written articles and appended soundbites per weekday at www.r1.co.nz/news.
Additionally, daily social media story highlights, illustrations, and headline summaries across Facebook,
Instagram and Twitter, news slide shows on Mixcloud, and daily full audio bulletins on iTunes and Spotify.
General Assessment
82.  Radio One 91FM is a student radio station based at the University of Otago. It has been run by rangatahi for
rangatahi since 1984, delivering local music, culture, and news to listeners apathetic to or not catered for by
mainstream media. It receives operational funding from NZ On Air.
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83.  The Radio One newsroom has produced talents such as

84.  The current newsroom consists of

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85.  Radio One’s newsroom currently produces a weekday short-form news bulletin of current affairs, long-form
original stories, and interviews which run three times daily.
86.  The Digital Content Editor role would adapt the newsroom’s outputs into written stories, soundbites, and
social-media specific posts, to be delivered across the station’s website, social media accounts, and
platforms like Mixcloud, iTunes, and Spotify.
87.  This would heighten engagement with the station’s existing PIJ content from its audience

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88.  Radio One says it is committed to Te Tiriti and mindful y integrates indigenous voices, te reo Māori, and te ao
Māori across al  content outcomes.
89.  The station has pledged to ensure it meets the criteria of the PIJF by becoming a member of the NZ Media
Council.
Staff Opinion
90.  Assessors were supportive of the proposal, noting that the station delivers to the youth audience and the
INFORMATION
requested role would increase the reach of content already funded in part by NZ on Air.
91.  Assessors thought the station had a proven history of delivering PIJ content and were wel -placed to deliver
the application’s outputs.
92.
and the role would strengthen the overall PIJ capability of this
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station.
93.  One assessor summed up the panel’s recommendation saying  “hits a number of PIJF targets - it increases
content to a target youth audience via an already-demonstrated youth engaged channel. The role is clear
that moving content from the currently funded platform into a new digital space doesn't duplicate funding
and wil  hopefully enhance the reach of currently funded radio content”. Funding is recommended up to
$20,000 subject to

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Sub-Editor
Campus Radio 95bFM
$32,916
Role
Outputs
Salary
Est Associated Costs
Sub-
One repackaged piece of content each weekday for the first 4

Editor
months, two repackaged pieces each weekday for the next 8

months, posted on social media and the station’s website
Synopsis
94.  Campus Radio 95bFM are an independent student radio station located on the University of Auckland city
campus. They are applying for Targeted Role funding to hire a Sub-Editor for their news team over a 12-
month period.
General Assessment
95.  Campus Radio 95bFM has been broadcasting since 1969. It is a member of the New Zealand Media Council
and works closely with the Broadcasting Standards Authority to ensure all on-air content is up to standard.
The application stresses that Te Tiriti and te ao Māori are fundamental to Campus Radio’s modus operandi.
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96.  Its news coverage prioritises Māori voices and perspectives and it is a requirement that te reo Māori is used
in the station’s regular news updates.
97.  The station’s current newsroom consists of

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98.  Campus Radio says its public interest journalism is youth-focused, diverse, and with a special emphasis on
Tāmaki Makaurau and local issues which affect their rangatahi audience.
99.  It has a weekday current affairs programme, The Wire, which has investigated news issues such as the anti-
vaccination movement and racism on campus.
100.  The Wire routinely conducts interviews with public figures and politicians, such as

. It also has a regular segment where hosts
speak to
about the Auckland City Council.
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101.  The Sub-Editor’s role would be to work alongside the set-up team to rework content from The Wire and post
it to digital and social media platforms in order to better reach, and grow, their sizeable rangatahi audience.
102.  The Sub-Editor’s outputs would be one repackaged piece of content each weekday for the first four months
and two repackaged pieces each weekday for the next eight months. Initial y this would be in the form of
articles and reworked clipped audio clips from pieces on The Wire, with quick-read versions posted to social
media, linking back to longform pieces on the 95bFM website. In the long-term, the station aims to develop
them into video and photo content.
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103.


104.  The station has a COVID-19 contingency plan and can operate remotely in a lockdown situation.
Staff Opinion
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105.  Assessors unanimously supported this application, finding that the applicant already delivers PIJ to a highly
sought-after youth audience. They considered the budget to be very reasonable for the overal  cost of
improving both the quality and reach of their existing PIJ content.
106.  The role will address
by making PIJF content more accessible, which will help it to reach
audiences currently underserved by terrestrial radio coverage and public interest journalism more generally.
107.

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108.  One assessor noted that 95bFM is a training ground for journalists and some well-known media figures
began their careers at the station. Funding is
recommended up to $32,916 subject to



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INFORMATION

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AGENDA ITEM 5.6
PUBLIC INTEREST JOURNALISM - PROJECTS
NZ MEDIA FUND
RECOMMENDATION
That the Board approves funding of up to:
•
$1,919,913 to SunPix Ltd, for Tagata Pasifika
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OVERVIEW
1.
In January 2021 Cabinet agreed to draw down $55m over the next three years (2021 - 2023) from the
tagged contingency set aside by Cabinet for broadcasting initiatives. This funding will be administered by
NZ On Air to support the production of public interest journalism including Māori and Iwi journalism that
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is relevant to and valued by New Zealanders.
2.
General Guidelines for the PIJF were published in April 2021. The principles set out in the Cabinet
paper have informed the design of the Public Interest Journalism Fund (PIJF). NZ On Air col aborated with
Te Māngai Pāho on the design and delivery of the fund.
3.
The PIJF is structured to support journalistic capability across three funding pillars: Projects, Roles, and
Industry Development. This third round of the Public Interest Journalism Fund sought applications to the
Projects and Roles pillars of the fund. Information for this Sep/Dec funding round outlined the assessment
criteria and funding priorities to applicants.
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4.
Applications for Project funding (circa $7m allocated) were sought in the following areas:
• News and Current Affairs Projects – including children’s and youth news
• Investigative journalism projects
• Projects that improve the overall quality, provision and/or sustainability of PIJ
5.
The criteria for Targeted Roles in this round (circa $2m al ocated) were developed in response to industry
feedback and learnings after Round 2 which had focused purely on content-creation roles. Round 3 sought
to encourage roles that supported the production and sustainability of high-quality public interest
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journalism but weren’t necessarily content creating.
6.
This round invited applications from a number of journalism and current affairs ‘legacy’ projects annual y
funded by NZ On Air baseline factual funding, and projects recently funded via one-off additional
Government funding.
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7.
These projects were considered in a ful y contestable process under the same eligibility and assessment
criteria as other applications. With an additional circa $4m from NZ On Air baseline factual funding added
to this PIJF round to acknowledge that it was likely that some returning journalism projects would be
funded and that accommodations should be made to maximise the number of new projects that could be
supported via the PIJF. This decision was made following stakeholder consultation from the sector in
February and was signalled to the sector in our response to the stakeholder report (page 6).
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8.
The ‘legacy’ projects for consideration in this round include Tagata Pasifika for consideration by the Board
and six others considered and approved by SIC including Q + A, Newshub Nation, The Hui, Stuff Circuit and
Newsroom Investigates, and Kea Kids News.
9.
There was a two-stage application process for Round 3. Applicants were first asked to submit five-page
proposals by Thursday 30th September, which were individual y assessed by panel ists. A hui was then held
on Friday 8th of October. Shortlisted applicants then submitted ful  proposals by Tuesday 26th of October.
Fol owing further individual assessment, a hui was held on Tuesday 2nd November to decide on the funding
recommendations outlined in this paper.
10.  The assessment panel for the PIJF Round 3 included:

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•  Raewyn Rasch (Ngāi Tahu) - NZ On Air Head of Journalism. Former General Manager Māori and Pacific
programmes at TVNZ, executive producer of Seven Sharp, producer of Fair Go and Marae
Investigates, TV and radio journalist.
•  Glenn Usmar - Associate Head of Funding (Systems), NZ on Air. Former Programme Manager for Rialto
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Channel, Sky TV, and Programmer at TVNZ.
•  Gabriel Thomas - Journalism Manager, NZ On Air. Former executive producer of The Nation and
Firstline, producer Newshub Live at 6.
•  Fairooz Samy - Journalism Funding Advisor, NZ On Air. Current Media Studies PhD candidate at Victoria
University of Wellington.
11.

The
assessment panel recommended 35 for funding at a total of $9,254,433. These projects are listed in full in
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5.8 Staff Investment Committee / Delegated decisions.

GENERAL ASSESSMENT & STAFF OPINION
Tagata Pasifika              SunPix Ltd

          $1,919,913
Key People
Role/s
Relevant Past Work
INFORMATION

Synopsis
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12.  This is a returning current affairs series, 51 x 23’ and 2 x 90’ for 9:30am Saturdays on TVNZ 1 with a repeat
play on Sunday morning. Tagata Pasifika presents current affairs, talanoa, sports, issues, events,  and
entertainment relevant to the Pacific Islands communities. It has additional distribution on Whakaata Māori
(Māori Television), tpplus.co.nz, Prime, and Pasifika TV.

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General Assessment
13.  Since 1987, Tagata Pasifika  has provided a forum for Pacific viewpoints and a reflection of the varied
communities who make up Moana Pacific in Aotearoa New Zealand.

14.  The primary platform for Tagata Pasifika is TVNZ. It is also broadcast on Whakaata Māori on Sundays at
4.30pm and on Prime on Mondays at 4.30pm giving it a potential reach of more than 100k per week. The
Prime placement started last October and the producer reports the network is pleased with its performance
in the slot. Tagata Pasifika also airs on Pasifika TV (PCBL) currently beaming to 20 South Pacific Broadcasters.
15.  Highlights of the 2021 season have included being the first NZ media to cross live to Samoa during the
Samoan election crisis, technically producing the world-wide television broadcast of the Government Dawn
Raids Apology, continuing to broadcast throughout COVID-19 lockdowns and scoring more than 70,000
views on the Te Maeva Nui (Cook Island festival) on TP+.
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16.

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INFORMATION

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18.

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19.  One story that demonstrates the impact and importance of Tagata Pasifika in its community and via its
reach on social media is that of Junior Tofa, a young Samoan boy who became trapped in New Zealand
during lockdown and then contracted rheumatic fever. Requiring $65,000 for urgent heart surgery neither
the New Zealand nor Samoan governments would take responsibility for him, and a Give-a-Little page was
set up. The campaign had little traction until Tagata Pasifika ran his story and within four days, the goal had
been surpassed. It now sits at $78,132. The story was not picked up by other media.
20.  Tagata Pasifika’s demographic profile for linear television is strongest in the 60+ and 50-59
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21.  The linear broadcast is supplemented by extra daily news on tpplus.co.nz which has 47k subscribers. The
site’s advanced search capability provides audience access to a Tagata Pasifika archive resource from the
last 10 years with more than 4,000 stories online. SunPix has been further bolstered by the funding of digital
text journalists for tpplus.co.nz from PIJF Round 2 Role funding and the funding of two digital-first
documentaries (Ifoga and Maisuka) from PIJF Round 1.
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22.  The format remains the same as 2021 with two 90’ special episodes celebrating Pacific music with the Pacific
Music Awards and Pacific achievement and excellence with the SunPix Pacific People’s Awards now in its 7th
year. Despite COVID-19 the 2020 Pacific Music Awards live-stream of 2.5 hours was viewed by more than
62k. While awards shows do not generally sit within the criteria for the PIJF, it was decided their cultural
value in celebrating stories of Pacific success could be seen as vitally important and of public interest to
Pacific audiences.
23.  While anchored by a live studio-based format, the show in 2022 wil  continue to demonstrate currency by
crossing to outside broadcasts from events that engage its audience. It will also continue to focus on Pacific
languages especially Realm languages (Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau) which are the most vulnerable.
24.





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Staff Opinion
27.  SunPix has built a collaborative network of content providers in the Pacific to ensure it can engage with local
reporters both here and in the Pacific. This has been particularly important during COVID-19 lockdowns in
covering such events as the Samoan constitutional crisis and elections.
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28.  Tagata Pasifika  has one of the most experienced teams in Pacific journalism.

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29.  SunPix contributes to the growth of Pacific Journalism and has a relationship with the Pacific Co-operation
Foundation and has hosted interns from Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, PNG, and Tonga and also takes interns from
the AUT School of Communication Studies and Southern Institute of Technology. It is also one of the
partners in the Te Rito industry development project to host journalism cadets in 2022. Tagata Pasifika’s
contribution to journalism extends wel  beyond the minutes on screen.
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30.

31.
staff
believes the programme’s reach via social media in particular is an important indicator of a programme that
remains relevant and engaging to its target audience. S

32.  Staff also note the positive addition of Prime as another broadcast partner for content alongside TVNZ,
Pasifika TV and Whakaata Māori, further strengthening Tagata Pasifika’s strong multi-platform offering.
33.

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34.  Tagata Pasifika continues to provide a vital service to its communities, demonstrated by how Government
agencies relied on it to inform Pacific communities during the COVID-19 crisis and turned to it to help with
the Dawn Raids Apology Broadcast. It negotiates the delicate balance between various ethnicities, Pacific
geo-politics, multiple languages, and serious issues facing Pacific People all while engaging its audiences
with traditional warmth, humility, and positivity. Funding is recommended up to $1,919,913.

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INFORMATION
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5.
The two applications from Stuff and NZME that are included in this paper were originally submitted in late
July 2021 to Round 2 Role funding. The round guidelines stated that applicants applying for NIR funding must
include:
•  Brief functional description of the current position/s
•  Demonstrate what imminent risk there is to the current position/s
•  Content output of the existing role/s and how it meets the PIJF definition of PIJ
•  Outline how the existing role/s link to measurable PIJF content creation.
•  Overview of the competitive environment relevant to roles sought
•  Considerations of loss of diversity of voice.
6.
9(2)(a)
was commissioned as the independent assessor to review al  material supplied by Stuff and
NZME. 9(2)(a)worked closely with NZ On Air staff to create specific criteria and requirements for NIR funding
that  were shared with both applicants.  The focus throughout  the assessment process was on two key
criteria:
a)  Important PIJ role: The role contributes significantly to PIJ, and its loss will impact audiences.
b)  Demonstrably imminent  loss: Financial necessity will require you to cut the role in the near
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future. “Imminent” was taken to mean within 6 months of the application submission.
7.
Detailed financial information (including commercial y sensitive data) was required at full proposal stage.
This included financial records with costs and revenue for relevant editorial divisions, showing trends by year
over at least five years, explanations of past cost-saving measures apparent in the supplied records, and any
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evidence of past redundancies triggered by similar financial conditions.
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8.
All supporting documents provided by Stuff and NZME are in the Al  Applications Boardbook menu. They are
financial and data heavy documents that 9(2)(a) has reviewed closely alongside staff, so we do not require the
Board to have reviewed them in detail and have included the information deemed most relevant within this
paper.
9.
9(2)(a)  notes in his assessments that it is a necessary but not sufficient condition of funding to satisfy these
two criteria, “Whether and to what extent the non-incremental roles are funded will also be decided
against competing claims and the aims, priorities, and capacity of the whole PIJF fund. In short: an
application may meet both requirements and still not receive approval because funding remains
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contestable.”
10.  He also observed, “Funding existing editorial roles within the local and regional media ecosystem carries
the risk of unfairly favouring failing businesses or divisions, and thereby distorting the market. It is beyond
the scope of this assessment to contemplate the relative disadvantage to news media businesses
operational in the same markets as the [newspapers] under consideration, should those [newspapers]
receive funding. The priority here is the audiences who stand to lose valuable sources of local information,
community identity, and diverse points of view.”
INFORMATION
11.  9(2)(b)

12.  Further general observations from 9(2)(a) on the process were that the applications “were significantly
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different in form and substance. The differences reflect different internal structures for understanding
business operations and possibly different company cultures. ...At their core, both funding applications
succesfully made the case that the reporting work being done was important and contributed meaningfully
to participation and identity within their communities.” Further to this he pointed out that, “9(2)(b)

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9(2)(b)

Staff wishes to acknowledge 9(2)(a) for his extensive and thorough analysis of the data and information
supplied.
13.  Neither application provided digital audience data so where audience numbers are referenced this is in
relation to print circulation.
14.  Round 2 al owed applicants to apply for up to two years of funding, subject to performance review
monitoring at key stages to ensure content targets are being met before a second year of funding is renewed.
Staff received strong feedback  from  the  industry that offering one-year contracts would not provide
sufficient security to enable recruitment and retention especially of experienced journalists.
15.  In the case of non-incremental roles, the issue of recruitment is not a factor, however, staff notes that the
provision – and in this case retention - of PIJ content to local audiences justifies a two-year consideration.
16.  A total of 108 new PIJF roles (circa $17m) have been approved to date. The Staff Investment Committee
approved 21 applications covering 48 incremental roles (up to $7,005,501) at the September meeting. The
Board approved a further four applications covering 62 incremental roles (up to $10,420,942) at the October
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meeting.
17.  Both applicants were provided assurances from NZ On Air that the commercially sensitive information they
provided to us would not be appropriate to release and, if requested, would be withheld under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the OIA). The rationale for this within the OIA is “to protect information where the
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making available of the information would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial position of the
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person who supplied or who is the subject of the information.”

GENERAL ASSESSMENT & STAFF OPINION
Non-incremental Roles
Stuff

      Requested $9(2)(b)
Funding Requested
18.  9(2)(b)

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9(2)(b)
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Funding Recommended
Newsroom
Role
Annual rem.
Kiwi S/Leave
Total Funding
Marlborough
9(2)(b)
Marlborough
1 P/L, or P&L, stands for profit and loss statement. It is one of the financial statements of a company and shows the company's revenues and expenses during a
particular period. It indicates how the revenues are transformed into the net income or net profit.
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9(2)(b)
Marlborough
Marlborough
Marlborough
Marlborough
Annual Cost
Two-Year Cost

$          731,300
19.  The recommendation is to fund five roles 9(2)(b)
at a total two-year cost of $731,300.
General Assessment
20.  9(2)(b)
fuel the editorial content in multiple local print mastheads and contribute to the
national Stuff site and other digital platforms (including Neighbourly). The roles cover the following
publications:
Marlborough
This paid newspaper dates from 1866 and is published three times a week. A dedicated
Express
area on the Stuff site presents a majority of public interest journalism (PIJ) content. As
indicated in the Stuff submission, this content goes beyond what a free weekly
newspaper can supply in terms of reporting detail, in particular for coverage of the local
bureaucracy. Local court, business, crime, and sport articles appeared on the home page
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accessed for this assessment.
Saturday
Delivered every Saturday to households across Marlborough (circ. 20k print and digital)
Express
9(2)(b)
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21.  9(2)(b)’s assessment of the Stuff application is here.
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22.  Staff notes that the Marlborough Express currently hosts one LDR reporter. There is no duplication in
funding requested for this LDR role in their submission.
23.  In their Round 2 final  proposal application Stuff applied for funding of $9(2)(a)  to employ a total of 20
new reporting roles 9(2)(a)

20 new roles
were approved by the Board at the October meeting total ing $2,789,240 over two years.
24.  Regarding the NIR funding, 9(2)(b) and NZ On Air staff held a number of meetings with Stuff executives and
INFORMATION
made several requests for supplementary information. Stuff supplied the fol owing documents:
•  9(2)(b)

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25.  In terms of the competitive news landscape in those regions, the Stuff publications - 9(2)(b)

9(2)(b)

Marlborough
Operated by Top South Media it publishes the Marlborough Weekly newspaper,
Media
Marlborough App and monthly Marlborough Magazine
The Blenheim
Independently owned and operated in Blenheim since 2002, a free twice weekly
Sun
publication delivered to homes across Marlborough
9(2)(b)
26.  Marlborough covers a diverse area from the Marlborough Sounds and the gateway to the South Island,
Picton, through to the hinterland of the Kaikoura Ranges with a population of 51,500. 9(2)(b)

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27.  The detailed financial information and data provided spanned FY17-FY21 (with YTD FY22) and contained:
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•  9(2)(b)

28.  In terms of criteria a) ‘Important PIJ role’, Stuff provided detail on the functions of the roles as follows:
9(2)(b)

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29.  9(2)(b)

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30.  As noted in 9(2)(a)’s report, 9(2)(b)

Stuff’s financial data shows that
in recent years 9(2)(b)

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9(2)(b)

31.  Stuff was asked to provide an overview of the competitive environment given there are several small
and independent competitors jostling for a place in a smal  market. Their response was 9(2)(b)

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32.  In terms of b) ‘Imminent loss’, 9(2)(a) noted of the data supplied by Stuff that, “A good overal  view of this
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situation is provided by reducing the data (to total revenue, editorial costs, all other costs, and
contribution) and then trending the data over the five available years” as per the table below.

9(2)(b)
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9(2)(b)
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33.  In the graphs above the darker green bar represents total revenue and the lighter green bar is
contribution. The intervening two red-hued bars are non-editorial (“all other costs”) and editorial costs.
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34.  9(2)(a)’s assessment of this data was that, 9(2)(b)

35.  A broad trend observed throughout the assessment was that editorial costs 9(2)(b)

This
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assessment also considers the cost-saving measures taken by Stuff 9(2)(b)

36.  9(2)(a) notes in his analysis that, 9(2)(b)

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Staff Opinion
37.  In terms of assessment criteria a) that NIR roles must ‘contribute significantly to PIJ, and their loss will
impact audiences’, staff determined that that criteria a) had been met.
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38.  Regarding criteria b) ‘demonstrably imminent loss’, 9(2)(b)

39.  9(2)(b)

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40.  In general correspondence 9(2)(a)provided to staff alongside his two assessments he states, 9(2)(b)

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41.  9(2)(b)

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.”
42.  9(2)(b)

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43.  However, staff believes the five roles in Marlborough should be approved and that 9(2)(b)

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44.  9(2)(b)

45.  In supporting this recommendation, staff acknowledges that while there are other local news providers
9(2)(b)
, those other publications are community weekly publications and
therefore fulfil a different niche, driven by advertising. We believe that retaining a level of media
plurality in the regions is important especially in smaller communities where issues such as the debate
around the Three Waters Reform and COVID vaccination can be divisively polarising.
46.  This funding would give the Stuff Marlborough newsroom some respite from the impact of the ongoing
COVID crisis and 9(2)(b)
. But most
importantly it will ensure a relatively isolated and geographical y diverse population maintains strong
local PIJ. Funding is recommended for five Marlborough roles up to $731,300 over two years subject
to9(2)(b)

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.

Non-incremental Roles

NZME

Requested
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$1,818,875
Funding Requested

9(2)(b)
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INFORMATION
47.  9(2)(b)

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Funding Recommended
Newsroom
Role
Annual Sal
Kiwi S/Leave
Travel
Total Funding
Rotorua Weekender
9(2)(b)
Napier Courier
Hastings Leader
Whanganui Midweek
Manawatū Guardian
Taupō Weekender
Horowhenua Chronicle
Kapiti News
Annual Cost
Two-Year Cost

$940,188
48.  The recommendation is to fund eight roles 9(2)(b)
two-year cost of $940,188.
General Assessment
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49.  9(2)(a)’s assessment of the NZME application is here.
50.  In its initial 5-page application to Round 2, NZME applied for 9(2)(b) new roles (across 9(2)(b) publications) for
its Open Justice scheme, and 9(2)(b) non-incremental roles across its community newspaper network for a
total ask of $
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9(2)(b) . The Open Justice scheme was approved at the October Board meeting for
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funding up to $2,995,702 for 15 new roles.
51.  Regarding the NIR application, NZME supplied the fol owing documents:
•  9(2)(b)

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52.  9(2)(a) noted that the applicant, 9(2)(b)

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53.  In its proposal, NZME outlined that it publishes 9(2)(b)

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54.  NZME has at least 17 community news publications in its stable 9(2)(b)

. Greater detail on the publications are
outlined here.

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9(2)(b)
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55.  Staff notes that the Rotorua Weekender received $440,000 PIJF Project funding from Round 1 for the
INFORMATION
provision of a bilingual te reo Māori section which is now publishing.
56.  Regarding criteria a) ‘Important PIJ role’, 9(2)(a) looked at a single copy of each publication in question to
determine how many articles ran and what proportion would be considered PIJ. He found the majority
of content could be considered PIJ in its broadest sense (including local sport and arts reporting).
RELEASED

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Edition
Total articles
PIJ articles
PIJ %
9(2)(b)
57.  9(2)(a)’s notes, “The survey was useful in that it provided an overview of the scope of publications and the
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differences between them. It also gave an indication of their potential utility to the communities in
which they are published. 9(2)(b)

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58.  Regarding the availability of local news in the markets under consideration, all the publications under
consideration are free weekly newspapers. 9(2)(b)

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•  9(2)(b)

59.  9(2)(b)

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9(2)(b)

b)  All the weeklies are home delivered and free as opposed to paid/subscription/online models of
the daily papers providing more access for audiences.
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c)  The weeklies are more involved in covering community events and spotlighting local people in
a way that under normal circumstances might not be considered public interest journalism, but
in a small town provides a level of community engagement which speaks to the goals of the
Cabinet paper and its definition of PIJ as (28) “…. journalism that contributes to a person’s
ability to function as a valued and informed member of the communities in which they live
and/or work.”
60.  In analysing the criteria b) ‘Imminent loss’, NZME provided a variety of data including:
•  9(2)(b)

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61.
NZME provided detailed financial information for each of the eight publications from 2018-2021, as
well as the overall P+L for its “Communities” division 2019-2021. Separately it included a graph of
total Communities revenues by sales channel from 2016-2021. The 2021 submissions are in al  cases
ful -year forecasts.
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62.
NZME states 9(2)(b)

:
•  9(2)(b)

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63.
9(2)(a)  notes that, 9(2)(b)

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9(2)(b)

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64.
9(2)(a) argues, 9(2)(b)

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THE

9(2)(b)
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65.
He continues, 9(2)(b)

66.  In terms of 9(2)(b)

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67.  9(2)(b)

9(2)(b)
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68.
9(2)(b)

INFORMATION

Staff Opinion
69.
In terms of the key assessment criteria a) that NIR roles must ‘contribute significantly to PIJ, and their
loss wil  impact audiences’, staff determined that that criteria a) had been met. As 9(2)(a) states in his
RELEASED
assessment, 9(2)(b)

70.
Regarding criteria b) and ‘demonstrably imminent loss’, staff concurs with 9(2)(a)’s note that, 9(2)(b)

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9(2)(b)

71.
Staff agrees with 9(2)(b)

72.
9(2)(a) makes a point of saying that, 9(2)(b)

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THE
73.
9(2)(b)

Funding is
recommended up to $940,188 over two years subject to a9(2)(b)

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INFORMATION
RELEASED
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THE  ACT
APPLICATION TO
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NZOA Public Interest
Journalism Fund
INFORMATION
•  Industry Development
•  Internal training specific to a single media entity
•  Specialised media focus on Moana community kaupapa:
RELEASED  Climate change reporting, issues for Pacific women,
framing Covid information for Pacific communities and
sports reporting for the Coconet TV.

Why this training is necessary and will be
enabled by this PIJF pathway
The need for Pacific journalism to provide balanced, inclusive and informed coverage
has never been more important, as pathways to Moana content production become
more available.
Aotearoa’s unique identity is an expression of our people, who are increasingly of Asian
and Pacific heritage. We support NZOA’s kaupapa that our screens should reflect our
diverse society, to ourselves and to the world.

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Storytelling is in our DNA and inherent to the ways that Moana cultures communicate.
The new modes of storytelling bring exciting new opportunities to communicate factual
information to our fast growing younger populations.
We are blessed to have a thriving online platform that has high engagement with this
hard to reach youth demographic who comprise the vast majority of the Pacific Island
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population in Aotearoa.
Stats NZ reports that in the 2006 census over 56% of the Pacific population in NZ is under
15 years old, characterised by a high birth rate compared to the aged pakeha population.
1. *https://www.stats.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Reports/Demographics-of-New-
Zealands-Pacific-Population-2010/Demographics-of-New-Zealands-Pacific-
Population-June-2010.pdf

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being able to communicate essential information
to our communities has never been more important than in the current Covid
environment in the Pacific, the significant regional political changes seen in the upheaval
of the Samoan elections, and the ongoing Climate crisis on our doorstep.

INFORMATION

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Spearheading diversity and high quality content on air, we are hoping that the
journalist development opportunities proposed will follow the success of previous talent
development models in supporting program-making for our Moana audiences.
We are excited about this training opportunity using the tuakana/ teina model

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Using this model of trusted Tuakana teachers in the journalism sector, we want to run
the same masterclass and concentrated one-on-one training model for this kaupapa to
increase value around our news and current affairs output for Moana communities.

What we want to achieve
and how this aligns with the goals of PIJF
run a specific training programme to upskill
Coconet reporter trainees to foster improved factual
storytelling skills for screen, and to increase our capacity to
tell community stories in our fast turnaround current affairs
environment.

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they need to have access to effective factual story crafting
techniques for the increasing volume of news stories that we
are trying to cover in Aotearoa and the region.
have our Coco
team creating this content themselves rather than relying on
commissioning expensive freelance directors and journalists
who are often in high demand.
We want to look at factual storytelling training for three
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reporters focused around specific issues we see impacting
our communities: climate change reporting, kaupapa around
the storytelling of Pacifica women’s issues, and sports
reporting in our communities.
INFORMATION
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Kaupapa and Specific Moana
Journalism Initiatives
A priority kaupapa of the Coconet is to increase our reporting around climate
change issues in the region for the young Coconet audience in Aotearoa. As part
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of our mission statement, we are compelled to raise awareness of the climate
crisis and we have started important new synergies with the regional Pacific
climate change movements to this effect. THE ACT
Our proposed training programme will
are excited that award winning journalist,
include upskilling

Mihingarangi Forbes, has committed to

working with Penina Momoisea in this
, to improve
story crafting skills
capacity.
around our climate awareness kaupapa.

We also want to look at

huge success with accessing players
to move into on-screen reporting. We would
across multiple disciplines to interview, but
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aim to expand
skill base to include
has never had the opportunity to hone her
storytelling for screen; and how to research,
storytelling skills to tell in-depth stories on
structure and shoot interviews and cover
screen.
current events in our Pacific communities.
A key priority is to highlight and publish
Part of our focus on this reporting is around
stories of female sports women across all
issues impacting Pasifika women in Aotearoa our media, following the rise and increased
and the region.

support from many of the codes.
Coconet team are well
INFORMATION
primed to expose investigative stories never
With a wide raft of awesome mentors on
told around issues of poverty, health, abuse
board, the outcome we are working towards is
but also the many community successes of
to have a more sustainable upskilled current
fafine Pasifika.
affairs team equipped to tell the stories of the
specific communities we are targeting.
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New modes of reporting for rangatahi
audiences online:
The Coconet team have the social media knowledge of viral campaigning and the three
trainees are well versed in innovative ways of connecting online, but there are some crucial
reporting skills that need to complement this for well-rounded on-screen storytelling.

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Well-written, concise infographics called IG ‘slides’ are increasingly being used as a popular IG
and Tiktok storytelling mechanism for young generations.
These slide boards are providing short form reporting that has high engagement online and
the viral campaigns we have seen give momentum to social movements like ‘Climate Change’
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and information around Covid and current events issues.
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These are examples of how different youth-focused organisations are using info-slides as ways
of disseminating factual information and prompt discussions online:
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INFORMATION
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are keen
and confirming facts from reputable
to hone their writing skills and research sources.
processes, and convey key information
This is an important element of the
from government press releases to this
proposed training model that we are
effect.
keen to implement

A crucial element of developing this

style of factual information online

is the research process of checking

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INFORMATION
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The new imperative to be able to accurately report
crisis information from the Pacific region:
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Covid has shown us how necessary it is for us to turn over information on a daily
basis and interpret health information and press releases for Pasifika people at
a fast pace. While we have had to learn most of this by osmosis on the job - the
opportunity for additional journalistic training would grow the confidence of our
trainees immensely. Should a new wave of Covid hit our communities we want
to be better prepared to communicate vital health information and stories.

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Our Pacific communities in Aotearoa are also highly engaged with the
political and social situations that develop in their Island homelands.

The PIJF training opportunity will help aid our reporters’ abilities to
INFORMATION
convey the incoming news and current events from these regional sources, into
our own summaries and reports online.
This kaupapa will help to develop the goals of the PIJF in seeing more diverse
representation of news and current affairs reporters. It will contribute to the
retention of jobs for our three in-house trainees and amplify skill-sets around
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their specific reporting interests.

Training Outcomes
how this kaupapa will contribute to
journalism recruitment and retention at the
Coconet TV
•  Sustainable training outcomes with ongoing
work at Tikilounge Productions.
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•  The ability to inform and engage the public
about issues that affect our right to flourish
within society and impact on society’s ability
to fully support its citizens - particularly with
regard to Pasifika women.
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•  Provide accurate, accountable, and fair
coverage that reflects and empowers all sectors
of the Pacific community, upholding our
public’s right to know.
•  Actively promote the principles of Partnership,
Participation and Active Protection under Te
Tiriti o Waitangi acknowledging Māori as a Te
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Tiriti partner
•  Reflecting the cultural diversity of Aotearoa in
the content that will be made as a result of this
training.
•  Growth within the Pasifika journalism
workforce and increased sector capability with
INFORMATION
tangible job placement outcomes at Tikilounge
Productions.
•  2 x on-screen new/ current affairs stories
produced by each reporter at the end
RELEASED  of training initiative as part of outcome
deliverables

Mentors
We will be engaging the following mentors in this
training programme who have confirmed their
availability and commitment to this kaupapa:
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Proposed Training Programme Content
how training will be effectively delivered in-house to best support
trainees/cadets and staff:
INFORMATION
We have developed a preliminary training model with our mentors, looking at these key areas of
development:
•  Interviewing techniques
•  Shooting to edit
•  Story structure and script writing
•  The art of the Piece-to-Camera and when
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•  Factual storytelling through a Mana Moana
this is needed
lens
•  Cultural Safety in our community
•  Story sovereignty
storytelling.
•  Writing current affairs for screen
•  Integrity of research
•  How to shoot a news story for fast
•  Subjective journalism
turnaround

Implementation of Training
Programme
Over a five week period we intend to have our
reporters work with our men-
tors in both masterclass form, and with one-on-one sessions.

•  Full day Masterclass introductory

session with all the mentors,
reporters and producer.
•  Field directing stories for screen with

Each of our
mentors present a session
overview on what their area of expertise is, why  Reporters learn all the basic techniques of
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and how this is important and key guidelines to  script writing to final editorial, field reporting
this type of reporting for Pacific communities.
and recording before going out on location
to record. When and how to use a piece-to-
This full day session will include: conducting
camera, when it’s necessary to appear on
research, editing stories for accuracy
screen with talent and when it’s not, how to
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and presenting news with objectivity,
frame talent for interviews, and how to work
professionalism and timeliness. The mentors
out cover shots are all part of this block. Tuki
will look at how to develop skills in the areas
will work with each reporter on paper edits
of writing, editing, interviewing and video or
of their stories through to the final editing of
audio production over the course of the two
these stories for screen.
month training period.
•  On the job training / work experience

with

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Mentors will take the reporters on a field shoot

in their professional environments to give them
an insight into reporting for these TV current
Cultural kaupapa and the specific ways our
affairs shows.
Pasifika communities communicate will be
covered by cultural advisor and ‘

•  Feedback and guidelines on stories

created weekly over a two month
period.
INFORMATION
•  One-on-One mentoring sessions -
three sessions per mentor over a five  These stories will all play out on the Coconet TV
week period.
with the acknowledged funding support of the
PIJF initiaitive.
These will be largely focussed on script-writing,
processes of research, editorial and techniques

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to bring stories to screen.

TRAINEE BIOS
“I believe the Climate Crisis and its
d its
intersecting social issues can be solved
ed
by young people, but in order for us to
o
do this, we need to be engaged with the
e
issues. Stories have the capacity to build
o build
relationships and empathy between youth so
outh so
that we feel connected to our environmental
al
and social realities. In the face of the climate
e
crisis and covid19, stories also have the
e
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ability to compel young people to act. They
y
help take situations beyond non-engaging
g
statistics and facts, and this is what youth
outh
need to engage. Intentional, well-crafted, and
d
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structured stories make an impact. These
ese
THE
are the stories I hope to get more reporter
er
training to be able to tell, so they can impact
t
young people willing to listen.” ”
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.

INFORMATION

travelled through Poland, The United Kingdom, Belgium and Italy sharing stories
of the
and the importance of
Leading the way for

awareness from
,
is committed to look at effective ways of reporting on
the many hard hitting issues that our Moana communities are facing
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joined New Zealand’s School Strikers to organize Auckland’s “Schools Strikes for
Climate” where 170,000 people in New Zealand joined the strike for Climate Justice. Using all this
incredible knowledge of one of the most defining issues of
wants to clearly
communicate the emergency that the Moana is facing and learn how to script and direct these
stories for screens big and small.

TRAINEE BIOS
“This training would help signif icantly as
antly as
I have no formal training in reporting for
or
screen.
een.
I’ve been fortunate to have nearly two
o
years worth of one-on-one mentoring in
g in
written journalism f rom the current Sports
ts
Journalist of the Year
e Y
, Suzanne McFadden,
adden,
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but I’ve recently made the decision to
o
f inish my contract with Newsroom as
oom as
I would like to develop more skills in
ills in
broadcasting.
g.
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Being able to share stories across
oss
mediums while also challenging myself is
f is
what I aim to do for my next career move.
e.
This training would be an ideal step to
o
ensure I have a solid foundation in this
dation in this
aspect of journalism and would love to
o
work on sports stories for the Coconet TV
V
particularly with a focus on the rising and
d
underreported area of Pacif ic women in
en in
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is a writer and fledgling screen reporter, with a fast-growing body of work for
with a focus on women in
sports storytelling.

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experience in print journalism with on-screen reporting and
video content-making for the Coconet.

TRAINEE BIOS
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“Reporter training would be invaluable to me with the CoconetTV as our written pieces
es
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are hugely popular with our audience as complementary pieces to our video content.
THE
It’s been a huge learning curve trying to cover Covid/vaccination and crisis info
o
through a Pasif ika lens to give communities the essential information they need. I
eed. I
want to be able to report conf idently in fast turnaround environments and disseminate
e
information targeted directly at our Pacif ic communities”
ommunities”
a familiar
face at Pacific events as a keen photographer and reporter of Pacific stories.
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The arrival of Covid in Aotearoa and the Pacific
saw a sharp pivot for
had to turn
around a vast body of factual information
from throughout the region to keep our
communities informed and up to date with the
Covid crisis.
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Reporting on the impact of Covid on Pasifika
communities, particularly in the second
lockdown, was a challenge without having
prerequisite skills for interviewing health
officials and joining in the parliamentary and
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online media sessions across this time.
produced some wonderful stories under pressure in this high stress period and wants to
refine
skill-set to confidently write, report and direct stories for the world’s biggest Pacific
online hub on a daily basis.

TRAINEE BIOS
OFFICIAL
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“We live in a world where mainstream media is predominantly Eurocentric - both
ic - both
the stories being covered and the writers themselves. It is so important that as
at as
young Pacif ic writers, we are supported with the necessary tools to take on the
e
opportunities that come our way, tools that will ensure we communicate all
e all
stories with the mana and care they deserve. I think storytelling and journalism
alism
is entering a new chapter and it’s exciting to be a part of that - but I want to
o
be properly equipped with reporter and editorial skills to produce work that is
at is
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excellent.” ”
who will attend the Masterclass sessions should this proposal be
successful,
is working for the Coconet in a freelance capacity and we are keen to offer
her development as an upcoming reporter.
Lofa Totua’s (she/her) scope of creative writing is inspired by sentimentality and legacy.

INFORMATION
.

journalism and creative direction mirrors these themes and specialises in storytelling,
centring the voices and experiences of BIPOC.

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Coco Analytics
In general, the work of Coconet TV is grounded in community-building.
The world’s favorite Pacific portal has become the virtual village for Pacific stories
from around the globe, giving them an online home - particularly for the fast-growing
community of Kiwi-Islanders in Aotearoa.
Connecting the worldwide Pacific community through the site has meant The Coconet
has become a hub for people to share their knowledge, concerns, their creativity and
their history. In community, people are not alone, it’s where identities find affirmation,
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cultures evolve and new worlds meet old practices.

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Our audience has grown with us and now reaches all around the world with its
main hub being Kiwi Pacificans in Aotearoa. We now have a great understanding
of what this audience wants to see and read online and have responded
accordingly.
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THE ACT
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The Pīpī Paopao Project
Boosting public interest journalism capacity with iwi radio and Māori communities
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TITLE: PĪPĪ PAOPAO PROJECT
DURATION: 6 MONTHS
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DIRECTORS:
KAITIAKI TIKANGA:
PRODUCTION COMPANY: AOTEAROA MEDIA COLLECTIVE AND CONTRACTORS
INDUSTRY SUPPORT: RNZ, TE WHAKARURUHAU & TMP
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Ma pango, ma whero, ka oti te mahi
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Through partnerships
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We know overall the number of journalists and editorial staff has suffered over the past ten years but perhaps what is
not as widely measured or recorded, is the dramatic loss of Māori, Pacific and Pan-Asian practitioners during this period.
The report also acknowledges diversity in
newsrooms is critically low.  We know newsrooms struggle to employ and retain tāngata whenua and diversity story
STATE
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tellers and for Māori who work in media anecdotally we know they feel alienated and isolated when working in
mainstream newsrooms. Ngā Aho Whakaari, the organization representing Kaimahi Māori (workers) surveyed Kaimahi
Māori in 2016 and found more than 20 percent worked for no pay but rather the concept of a foot in the door.
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The Kupu Taea Media Report
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A report released by Kupu Taea media in 2007 studied the reporting of Māori issues.  It used 740 newspaper articles and
118 televsion reports over a two-weeks period.  The researchers found many of the articles were written from a Pākehā
lens and represented Māori as the source of problem or conflict.  It was found that the media overused “Māori
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privilege” in the stories and framing of the articles.  The report recommended that newsrooms could be pro-active
about diversity by:
facts and figures
• institute recruitment programmes and scholarships for Māori journalists
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• require all applying for journalism jobs to have accurate pronunciation and use of Māori words, a basic knowledge of
the Treaty and how to behave in Māori settings
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Platforms
•
Many media organisations provide public interest journalism - NZ Herald, Stuff, Three, RNZ and TVNZ are the big
players, in the region's others such as The Northern Advocate in the North to The Greymouth Star in the deep South.
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ACKNOWLEDGING
•
In radio and television Māori are served by Māori Television and the 21 Iwi Radio Stations these are funded entirely
from language revitalization money through Te Puni Kokiri.
INEQUALITY AND
Where are Māori journalists?
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•
Māori journalist are working either within mainstream newsrooms, independently or in the 21 Iwi Radio Stations.
INEQUITY WITHIN
•
Few are trained through university or polytechnic, many come straight for Māori Immersion schools or other jobs.
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•
While there are no specific Māori journalism training courses in tertiary organisations, Te Awanuiārangi is running a
Māori Journalism Diploma and The Pīpī Paopao Project aims to compliments and support that initiative.
•
RNZ offers The Henare Te Ua Internship which is in it’s fourth year and has produced two reporters.
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•
Māori Television is involved in a broader proposal to develop Māori journalists alongside other major newsrooms, we
hope to compliment that mahi where we can.
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The Project –
• We have canvassed each of the stations to understand their unique journalism needs.OFFICIAL
The Training Programme –
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• The curriculum caters for both Te reo Māori and English medium recipients Half of our trainers are bilingual
• Each team of Trainers will have at least one individual who is an expert in te reo me ōna tikanga
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• Our Trainer Teams will team up with a local Māori journalist to ensure Mana Whenua led our wānanga
Outcomes –
• 100 members of the Iwi Radio Network will be trained through The Pīpī Paopao Project
• All of our Trainers already working in media organisations will identify potential new journalists and are committed to maintaining a
supporting relationships Tuakana/Teina concept
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8 WĀNANGA
Wātea
Pōrou
FM
FM
Tūranga
FM
2
3
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Te Hiku
Ngā
Tainui
FM
Iwi FM
FM
Kahungunu
FM
1
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Tautoko
Ngāti
FM
Hine FM
Tekorimako
4
FM
Awa FM
Tahu FMUNDER
6
Te Upoko
Maniapoto
FM
FM
Moana FM
5
8
7
Atiawa
Kia Ora
Raukawa
Tuwharetoa
Tūmeke
Te
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FM
FM
FM
FM
FM
Arawa
FM
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WĀNANGA
Number of trainees
Subject matters
Location
Northland
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Auckland
ACT Gisborne
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Whanganui
Taupo
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Christchurch
Tauranga
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Wellington
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Marautanga - Syllabus
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• The marautanga of Pīpī Paopao will be co-designed, in that participating iwi stations indicate
areas they want to focus on considering their specific needs, gaps and potential growth areas.
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• That said, our consultations with Iwi stations to date have confirmed key elements of marautanga
they want. We will also ensure any gaps in journalism skillsets are identified and provide training
in that area.
Marautanga:
• Journalism toolset: Whaiwhai kōrero: OIA’s; Parliamentary coverage; court coverage whilst
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adhering to tikanga Māori; council and democracy reportage with Māori lens
• Performance delivery: On-air and on-screen performance coaching, effective bilingualism
integration
• Writing: Te reo Māori script & bulletin writing; opinion writing, feature writing
• Online: Effective social media delivery, planning and languaging
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• Ahakoa he iti he pounamu: Although smaller, the strategic ways iwi stations can achieve cut
through in the busy media space and deliver excellent content to audience
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WHOSE COLLABORATING?
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SUSTAINABILITY –
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• Newsrooms around NZ are struggling to find Māori reporters. This project will provide a new wave of Māori storytellers
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• The journalists below are committed to identifying new talent and maintaining relationships between iwi radio and
mainstream media
TRAINERS
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MOVING IWI MEDIA ONLINE
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•
s a multi language
website which will offer iwi media organisations the
opportunity to display their new and community notices
online.
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•
has published its site which can be seen here
• Included in this proposal is training
to
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learn how to upload their news and content to the new site.
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Te Ao Mārama - Full Proposal
01.06.21
Introduction
Te Ao Mārama is the Māori students student media magazine at Victoria University of Wellington—Te
Herenga Waka. It was first introduced over 30 years ago and was established by some of Aotearoa’s
finest te reo pioneers and stalwarts including alumni and students of Ngāi Tauira, the Māori students
association. For many years until recently it had been the only magazine led by and created for
Indigenous students at a university.
The objectives of Te Ao Mārama, and jointly the value it brings to student media, have always been
focused on representation. The magazine is curated by Māori students in partnership with the Salient
student Media team annually during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, Māori language week.
During its release Māori students are able to have a sense of autonomy over a platform where
kaupapa Māori and Mātauranga Māori ideas and perspectives can be heard and represented.
Te Ao Mārama is programmed for tauira Māori to allow them to share stories, experiences and
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interests as Māori tauira with the wider community. With this, more tauira Māori and the wider
community are exposed to a numerous variety of creative texts and lots of interactive content from
talented tauira Māori - whether that’s expressed through stories, poems, waiata, haka, photography or
art work.
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The Magazine gives Māori students the opportunity to analyse and address key moments and events
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of the year and address prominent conversations relevant to our communities and society.
Te Ao Mārama reports at a variety of contexts; at a whānau, hāpu and iwi level with a range of
socio-cultural and issues being raised within these contexts.
The objectives of the Te Ao Mārama magazine for 2021 are to:
1. Produce a student media magazine that is led by Ngāi Tauira and provides rangatahi Māori
and Te Ao Māori perspectives.
2. Receive funding for Te Ao Mārama whilst working with the Salient student Media team to
better acknowledge the time and efforts of tangata whenua within student media and
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acknowledge a Te Tiriti partnership.
3. Provide a space for Māori Student voices and concerns to be addressed.
4. Celebrate Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori.
5. Foster the development of content creation skills, creative and formal writing skills, art and
design skills, as well as tikanga and reo with Māori Students at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria
University of Wellington.
6. Continue the legacy of alumni and our tūpuna of storytelling.
7. Increase the capacity and capability of Māori led initiatives in Pākehā environments.
8. Produce a magazine complete with content administered fully by current/past Māori students
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at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington.
9. Maximise Māori student representation and outreach in mainstream communication.
10. To further establish a positive cross-cultural relationship with Salient that can be continued in
future years to come.
The guidelines outlined provide direction for navigating effective journalism practices and instill
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motivation to achieve our goals.
When analysing the guidelines, the inclusion of the following values and principles further helps to
oversee how we approach the guidelines:
Tikanga and Whakapapa

●
Outcomes linked to securing Māori identity
●
Establishing connections between our tauira and writers.
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Providing a sense of belonging for tauira.
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Showing commitment and responsibility.
Aroha and Kōtahitanga
●
Uniting to produce another magazine issue that contains whakaaro which is rangatahi and
Māori led
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Empowering tauira Māori, tauira in general and the wider community.
●
Provide fair and complete service to all.
How does your application meet the objectives of the PIJF?
In regard to the purpose and objectives of Te Ao Mārama outlined above, we believe this kaupapa
serves and contributes to Public Interest Journalism and more. Overall this project is to ensure that
necessary and engaging coverage of Te Ao Māori is fully realised at university and wider local
community.
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Does your application meet all of the eight general eligibility criteria?
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Te Ao Mārama is a taonga which was born out of the commitment of Salient and Ngāi Tauira to
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achieving genuine partnership between our respective entities. Each year, editors, designers, writers,
and social media specialists collaborate to produce a magazine which absolutely centres stories,
issues, and ways of life which are important to Māori. It is in Salient’s constitution that the Salient
editor(s) will, each year, work with Ngāi Tauira to produce Te Ao Mārama; our commitment to te Tiriti
is longfold.
While the commitment of Salient to te Tiriti is strong, our current commitments are aspirational; Salient
can always do more to commit to te Tiriti, especially if we are provided with this funding.
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One key aspect of Te Ao Mārama that reflects Te Tiriti is the fact that the
of Ngāi
Tauira is the leader of the Te Ao Mārama, not Salient. They are fully in charge of the whole production
and the Salient team are there to help in any capacity that the Āpihā Tūmatanui requires.
Are the skills and experience of the team appropriate for the project?
●
Salient and Ngāi Tauira have been producing Te Ao Mārama for over 30 years, and as such
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there is a history of reporting that informs the present. The Ohu also have access to alumni
of Ngāi Tauira who have produced many issues of Te Ao Mārama if they require their
assistance.
●
Ngāi Tauira have an ohu whakahaere for Te Ao Mārama which include the writers for this
year’s issue and alumni who will help us navigate this issue and produce a good body of
work.
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●
As Salient co-editors,
are experienced in facilitating the production of the
magazine. We can provide support and connections within the journalism community.
will be available well before and during production to provide support.
The content output:
●
Editorial (500 - 600 words)
1

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4 - 5 news articles with accompanying images (approximately 5-6 pages, 300 or 600 words)
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3 feature articles - varying in length (800 or 1,200 or 2,000 words approx)
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Centrefold - commissioned to suit the themes and spirit of the issue
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Photography
●
Cover art
Note: Te Ao Mārama is 40 pages. There will be additional content to what is outlined above. Other
content in the past has included poetry, short stories, recipes or personal essays. At this stage the
Ohu is keeping this open to ensure creative freedom.
Plan for spiritual and cultural elements:
Te Ao Mārama in its entirety is cultural, it attempts to project the views of rangatahi Māori at Te
Herenga Waka. Every part of Te Ao Mārama has a cultural element, whether it’s rangatahi writing
about their aspirations for te reo and tikanga Māori amongst New Zealanders or whether they are
writing about decolonising sexuality amongst Māori.
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All of the possible topics to be tackled in Te Ao Mārama are discussed amongst the Te Ao Mārama
Ohu, the rōpū behind producing Te Ao Mārama, appointed by Ngāi Tauira. We can’t possibly preempt
this discussion by saying what topics will be covered in this year’s issue but they will follow the same
process.
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All of the topics offered by tauira to tackle in Te Ao Mārama will be considered by the Ohu to consider
any possible issues or extra care that may need to be given to some perhaps sensitive topics or
kōrero that may require permission of others whose kōrero it belongs to. The Ohu will be responsible
for these matters and will pay close attention to them during the planning, production and distribution
of Te Ao Mārama.
Appropriate people attached to the project in leadership roles who can manage and advise on these
cultural and spiritual aspects of the production at critical stages
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The Editors of Te Ao Mārama are the Āpihā Tūmatanui of Ngāi Tauira. Key support is to be provided
by former Te Ao Mārama editor. This ensures that leadership and decision making is made in
accordance with the objectives (including the spiritual and cultural objectives) of Te Ao Mārama
outlined above.
Language strategies to ensure correct pronunciation and use of language/s and dialects
With funding, Salient can contract a sub-editor for Te Ao Mārama who specialises in Te Reo Māori.
Meaningful representation in key roles
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Writers, photographers and other contributors will be selected by the editors of Te Ao Mārama, these
roles are open to tauira (current and past).
Where relevant - mentoring and professional development – leading to career pathways.
Primary Mentorship to be provided by
. Mentorship is a key aspect of the
production of Te Ao Mārama. This is in the hope that with some experience and encouragement,
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tauira will be able to experience working in journalism and see opportunities to have a voice in the
future.
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Workshops | In preparation for the production of Te Ao Mārama
Workshop 1
24 July (date TBC)
Hosts: Ngāi Tauira and Salient
Speaker:
A two hour workshop to engage writers and discuss topics/themes for Te Ao Mārama. This is a space
to talk about journalistic reporting and assign roles (where possible.) This will make sure tauira know
about the project in detail ahead of production and are supported to develop their skills along the way.
Workshop 2 Early August
Writing + production workshop hosted by
Workshop 3 (TBC)
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We are planning to host another workshop with other journalists. We have begun contacting
journalists -
has indicated interest is speaking to tauira
about news reporting.
Platform sharing:
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Content to be published on Salient and Te Pararē websites to reach local and national audiences.
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This is part of expanding and connecting student media platforms.
The magazine will also be uploaded to Issuu. Social media campaigns to be run on @salientgram and
@ngaitauira.vuw.
We are also willing to pitch pieces / share content with other media platforms (with authors’
permission). There is a precedent for this kind of content sharing between student media orgs and
outlets like
. This usually happens after the content is produced.
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Distribution
2,000 physical copies printed and distributed around VUW Campus’ and local cafes. Also intending to
post copies to whānau and alumni.
Individual articles uploaded to Salient website, also shared on social media platforms (Facebook,
Instagram, Twitter).
Conclusion
We have asked for a very modest amount of funding to ensure that we can properly manage the
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responsibilities that come with a funded project, given the structure we are working in as a student
media entity. We have thought carefully about what is achievable and what will work best to honour
the independence and essence of Te Ao Mārama.
We strongly believe that the impact this project will have in terms of showing genuine Treaty
partnership, highlighting and celebrating the voices of rangatahi and providing tangible journalistic
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experience for young people makes it a worthy investment.
Not only is it distributed online so that it can be shared, commented on and interacted with - there will
also be 2,000 physical copies for people to be able to hold in their hands.
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We want to see this project valued. It is a hugely impactful experience for writers and creates
something meaningful for its specific, local audience. It forms part of the archive that will go on to sit in
the National Library. It is something that researchers and historians can refer back to. We want to
produce it to the highest standard as possible but we have aspirations that can’t be achieved without
funding.
Thank you again for your consideration.
Ngā mihi nui,
and
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4

Wilderness magazine | Public Interest Journalism Fund | Full application
Project proposal: THE LIVING FOREST
What happens when you see the forest as a living entity; a cherished loved one you depend
on and who depends on you? Wilderness catches up with iwi around the country to find out.
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In this story for Wilderness, regular contributor
will visit three iwi in New
Zealand to understand their relationship with the ngāhere (forest).
will have face-to-face
interviews with
about their deep relationship with kauri in the
and
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discuss what’s involved with caring for kauri at a time when kauri-dieback disease is
sweeping the country.
to understand their relationship with the river,
now bestowed as having all the rights of a person under the law. What does that mean in
practice?
Finally,
to better understand their relationship
in caring for and protecting the country’s wild pounamu, a prized natural taonga under threat
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from poachers and development.
With each iwi, the writer reflects on the traditional values that define their relationship with
the natural world.
explores some of the stories that underpin that relationship.
looks
at what’s happening in each region to reconnect iwi members to nature, preserve species
and uphold the mana of the natural landscapes within their rohe (area).
Finally,
discusses the benefits of seeing nature from a Māori worldview if New
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Zealand's forests, rivers and natural taonga are to survive for future generations.
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Suitability of
to lead the project: Over the past 10 years,
has developed
own approach to storytelling, which is to collaborate with iwi to tell their

stories.
As a writer, this has required a change in the way
practises journalism. It means
is committed to travelling to meet interview subjects and it also means being transparent
about
There are numerous examples of
approach published in Wilderness in recent years.
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A standout story that dealt with a highly sensitive issue was the perceived degrading of the
Lake Waikaremoana Great Walk. Wilderness readers wrote numerous letters to share their
dismay at what they called a drop in standards on the track since Tūhoe assumed
management. Wilderness commissioned
to investigate readers’ concerns because
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we knew she had the contacts and the mana to have on the record conversations.
approach to Māori storytelling has allowed her to build trust and ongoing
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relationships with Māori.
Demonstration of authentic and appropriate engagement with Māori:
will be
travelling to three locations to interview, photograph, and video interviewees within their
rohe; kanohi-ki-te-kanohi (face-to-face). This process will take several weeks.
After her interviews,
will continue communication with the interviewees to ensure
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accuracy, and, as outlined above, will work with her interviewees on her final draft to ensure
accuracy and authenticity.
Accuracy of the story – e.g. spelling and use of macrons: It is crucial we get the simple
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things right, too. We acknowledge we must ensure absolute accuracy in the finished story.
We believe we are capable of that; in recent years, Wilderness has independently and
proactively sought to elevate Māori place names and the names of flora and fauna above the
European name. This shift is a conscious effort to acknowledge and respect all aspects of
our unique outdoor culture – it’s not just the landscapes and the flora and fauna that make

exploring the outdoors in this country so unique, it’s also what these things are called and we
believe it is important to call them by the name they were originally given.
Our style guide lists many common words and their spelling, including the correct use of
macrons. Our current practise is to use the style guide and preferences of iwi. For example,
this means spelling Mt Egmont/Taranaki as Taranaki Mounga (and not Taranaki Maunga as
iwi outside Taranaki might prefer to spell it).
In a Māori-centric piece like The Living Forest, extra care will be taken during the subbing
process to ensure 100 per cent accuracy.
a Māori language expert to read through the
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story.

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How this project meets the criteria of the PIJF
Criteria
Upholds PIJ
This feature story aims to support the following PIJF’s
goals:
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● Actively promoting the principles of partnership,
participation and active protection under Te Tiriti o
Waitangi, acknowledging Māori as a Te Tiriti
partner
● Reflect the cultural diversity of New Zealand.
It aims to do this by investigating and reporting on matters
of significance for Wilderness magazine readers who
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regularly visit New Zealand’s national parks and wild
places, yet know little about the cultural importance of
these places. Over the past couple of years, Wilderness
magazine has increased coverage of stories that explore
and seek to give insight into te ao Māori. The goal of
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Zealand’s bicultural heritage and the key role of iwi in
shaping its future direction. This feature is part of that shift
in coverage.
Commitment to Te Tiriti o
Wilderness magazine has increased Māori representation
Waitangi and to Māori as a Te in its content and is committed to continuing to do so. It is
Tiriti partner
also committed to collaborating with iwi to tell stories and

develop content by visiting iwi face-to-face
(kanohi-ki-te-kanohi).
Target audiences
Discoverability
The story will be:
● published in print and online.
● promoted through social media, using relevant
hashtags.
● promoted through a short video.
Collaboration
Iwi interviewed for the story will be invited to share the
story through their social media, print and digital channels.
Sustainability
Wilderness magazine, if successful with this application,
will use the project as an opportunity to build new
relationships with iwi and further embed a culture of
reporting on stories exploring te ao Māori in Wilderness
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magazine.
Ethics
Wilderness writers adhere to the New Zealand Journalist
Code of Ethics, set out by E tū. As Pākehā writers writing
about te ao Māori, they are also open to learning about
Māori culture and, as such, adhering to ethical reporting
practices relating to culture and tikanga, including meeting
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iwi representatives kanohi-ki-te-kanohi (face-to-face)
within their rohe (region).
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Proposed content publishing timeline
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July – Aug 2021
Content producer travels to three locations to interview, photograph,
and video interviewees within their rohe; kanohi-ki-te-kanohi
(face-to-face). Publish and share social media content throughout the
news gathering process, using story relevant hashtags and hashtags
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Sept – Oct 2021
Publish story and images in print magazine and online, acknowledging
the PIJF.
Publish short 45 sec video (captioned) to promote story.

Publicise story through Wilderness magazine and content producer’s
social media channels, using relevant hashtags.
About Wilderness
Wilderness magazine
Wilderness is New Zealand’s magazine of the outdoors. Since 1991, it has been inspiring
New Zealadnes into the outdoors, under the tag line: ‘See more, do more, live more’.
They read Wilderness to learn about the outdoors and to find new
ways to enjoy hiking and camping in the conservation estate. We believe The Living Forest
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story will help enhance readers’ understanding of the Māori worldview and how Māori
intereact with nature and why this is something to embrace in 2021, especially as the threat
of kauri dieback, climate change and overcrowding in the conservation estate threaten to
undermine the traditional ways pākehā have recreated in the outdoors.
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Wilderness’ readers access the magazine primarily through the printed magazine,
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PROJECT WHAKATUPURIA TE MOANA A TOI PROPOSAL

WHAT
GROW THE BAY Whakatupuria Te Moana A Toi is a radio-based multi-media project to recognise,
acknowledge, explain and report to the community on the multiple Provincial Growth Unit projects
in the Eastern Bay. We plan to utilise the recourses of our existing t
newsroom and

to focus on this project, plus work with external parties, and our own multi-
talented staff.
The project is a fair, balanced news project to build and engage democracy. It is a “warts and all”
look at the progress of the extensive network of PGU (PGF) projects in the Eastern Bay of Plenty in
order to show how public money is being spent in the interests of development.
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HOW
ACT
THE
. We’ll travel to all PGU sites. We’ll utilise video, audio, Instagram and
podcasts plus billboards and bumper stickers to promote the programmes/content.
(We produced a “Discover our Local” 74 video series showcasing local people and places during
2020, which has just placed second at the International Broadcast Idea Bank convention in
Oklahoma)
We have a strong relationship with local councils, businesses, iwi and non-profit organisation. Our
credibility means we can get access to people and organisations as required. From Matata inland to
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Murupara our coverage extends to Whangaparaoa so we can reach up to 50,000 people.

WHOM
Our current news team is
and

.
who is our te reo coach. Our cultural and te reo
advisor is
We have already opened applications for a bilingual journalist for
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this project and we have a good candidate.

. Our liaison with the PGU projects

A leader in governance and management,
has a wide
network of contacts and relationships throughout the rо̄he.
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PROJECT DELIVERY CAPABILITY
Radio Bay of Plenty Limited based in Whakatāne is an independent commercial broadcaster
established in 1971.

The newsroom has had some

major stories including the 1987 Edgecumbe earthquake 2004, 2005 and 2017 floods and the
Whakaari disaster.


We have
full time journalists currently with training and backup provided by

Our award-winning team is very focused and has a depth of experience to ensure delivery of the
“Grow the Bay” project. Further we plan on adding another (bi-lingual) journalist to help with the
project. We already have excellent applicants.

We have commenced discussion with Whakataatu Whanaunga Trust, operators of an iwi station in
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Ōpōtiki to share our content with them and they have responded enthusiastically.

PROGRAMMING
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VIDEO
.
is an award-winning
videographer with excellent local work on the Discover our Local project in 2020.
TWO MINUTE PROGRAMME/PODACSRS
Written and recorded by our news team and produced by our production team. Some of these
programmes to be in te reo.  UNDER
LIVE INTERVIEWS
We will use our news team,
and our on-air team of
experienced broadcasters.
LONG-FORM (5 MINUTE) INTERVIEWS
We envisage these to be pre-recorded with a strong “drilling-down” focus. News team will do these.
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SUSTAINABILITY
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The embedding of Radio Bay of Plenty in the Eastern Bay for 50 years bodes well for the
sustainability of this project. Funding will enable Radio Bay of plenty to continue coverage of the

in particular to local journalism is pivotal in ensuring the ongoing delivery of grow
the Bay.

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PGU

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Document Outline