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
•
$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
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
6 applications recommended for total funding of up to $1,516,679
application recommended for decline seeking a total of
BACKGROUND
under the Official Information Act
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.
Released
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

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
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.
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.
under the Official Information Act
14.  The assessment panel for the PIJF Round 3 included:-

d.  Raewyn Rasch (Ngāi Tahu) - NZ On Air Head of Journalism. Former General Manager Māori and
Released
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
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

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
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.
under the Official Information Act

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.

20.

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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.
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
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
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.
under the Official Information Act

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
met the funding constraints of this round by

Funding is recommended up to $653,773 subject to

Kids Kōrero                        TVNZ

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

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
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.
39.  The proposal stresses that Kids Kōrero is NOT linear content being repurposed for digital – it is an offering for
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;

42.

43.  The core demographic is tamariki

Staff Opinion
under the Official Information Act
44.  Assessors felt the project’s measurable outputs, demonstrated need, clear explanations of the format, and
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,
noting that it would provide multiple avenues for consumption and lead to wider audience reach.
Released
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
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
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,

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.
under the Official Information Act
53.  Season 2 proposes three content streams for episodes.

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

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

Released

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
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
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
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
under the Official Information Act

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
which would cover issues

66.  Funding includes

Released

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

72.

73.  Current Te Pararē editor
, with support from
wil  oversee recruitment
and training, and provide ongoing support.
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.
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
under the Official Information Act
budget was good value for money.
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
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

Released
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.
83.  The Radio One newsroom has produced talents such as

84.  The current newsroom consists of

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

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
under the Official Information Act
90.  Assessors were supportive of the proposal, noting that the station delivers to the youth audience and the
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
station.
93.  One assessor summed up the panel’s recommendation saying  “hits a number of PIJF targets - it increases
Released
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.
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

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.
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
under the Official Information Act
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.
103.


104.  The station has a COVID-19 contingency plan and can operate remotely in a lockdown situation.
Staff Opinion
105.  Assessors unanimously supported this application, finding that the applicant already delivers PIJ to a highly
Released
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



f

under the Official Information Act

Released

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under the Official Information Act
Released
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Document Outline