AUCKLAND (Pacific Media Centre / Pacific Media Watch): A small group of reporters in New Zealand is dedicated to covering Pacific issues. Most of them are from a Pacific Island background, and are passionate about their own culture.
These journalists say Pacific coverage is getting better in New Zealand media, but there is still room for improvement.
Pacific issues see a lot of coverage in alternative media, but are harder to come by in the mainstream.
Walter Zweifel, news editor for Radio New Zealand International (RNZI), is surprised when he watches mainstream media.
“If I’m Joe Bloggs turning on the TV, my point of view is that it’s a sub-standard coverage of Pacific affairs.”
Zweifel is similarly critical of print media.
“Newspapers can ignore bread-and-butter issues going on in our own [Pacific] neighbourhood quite happily.”
He says New Caledonia, a territory only 2000km away from New Zealand, has been experiencing national strikes that seriously affect the country, and NZ media will not cover it.
“Last Saturday, New Caledonia had run out of petrol. It’s not mentioned anywhere here!”
Similarly, the controversial election in French Polynesia last month has gone largely unnoticed here.
Adrian Stevanon, of Māori Television’s Native Affairs, says everyone can be encouraged to do better when it comes to Pacific media. He says Pacific news should not be aimed just at Pacific people, but all New Zealanders.
He also says Pacific stories should preferably be covered by Pacific people.
“It’s always difficult for non-Islanders to get a perspective on island stories,” says Stevanon.
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Asia-Pacific Journalism
