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Newshub Closure: Māori Voices Needed 'To Make Sure These Stories Aren't Getting Missed'
Ashleigh McCaull, former AM Reporter/ Newshub staffer
Māori journalists say the impending closure of Newshub's AM show on 5 July is one less opportunity to cover stories from te ao Māori perspective.
They hope despite the closure, more Māori will still be able to enter mainstream media.
The programme has been a career launchpad and a training ground for many young journalists, including a number of Māori journalists.
Ōtautahi Christchurch reporter and producer Mitch Redman has been in the role for more than two years. His progression on the programme has seen him reporting on Newshub's 6pm bulletin and The Hui.
He has also been involved with daily editorial meetings, which gave him a say on angles and perspective into Māori kaupapa.
"Sometimes these stories are quite complex and need a bit more background knowledge as well, so yeah, there's certainly a need and more of a need to have Māori leaders and Māori storytellers in those editorial meetings to make sure these stories aren't getting missed by the mainstream.
"They have a really important place in obviously news and current affairs, but especially morning news and current affairs," Redman said.
One tāne instrumental in getting more use of te reo Māori off the ground - not only for AM but the entirety of Newshub - was Eru Paranihi.
He helped with a campaign in 2020 to drive more use of te reo Māori during Te Wiki O Te Reo Māori.
Before this he produced many segments for Māori language week including one with actress Jennifer Ward-Lealand in 2018 about learning the language.
The former AM Show producer said during his time there, it was the start of Newshub's journey at lifting the use of te reo on screen.
"It was an opportunity to use a platform and I guess promote te reo Māori in a way that resonated with New Zealanders with a wider audience, as opposed to a Māori audience as well.
"There were definitely opportunities for its promotion, definitely opportunities to uplift its mana. Yeah, that was pivotal back then," Paranihi said.
Presenter and reporter Michael O'Keeffe was one of the kaimahi Māori inspired by his own children and Eru Paranihi's work, and used te reo when reading the weather.
He is on his reo journey and wants to teach viewers Māori place names, including smaller towns in Aotearoa.
"If I could help say not just probably the reo Māori names for the main centres, but also as well Whakatū Nelson, Whakaoriori - Masterton, Tāhuna Queenstown. If I can include those, and if people learn one new place name in te reo Māori as a result of that, then I think that's what I wanted to contribute in my role as the newsreader on AM," O'Keeffe said.
He wanted to see greater representation of Māori moving forward in mainstream media.
Layla Bailey McDowell, a journalism intern, will be one of the last young kaimai Māori to come through the AM show.
She hoped despite there being one less media organisation, more Māori will be able to tell stories on a mainstream platform.
"To have Māori angles on any story is extremely important, just because the way that we view life is different to a Pākehā world as well.
"I think just embracing te ao Māori and looking at it through a Māori lens, we need more of that not less.
"I'm saddened really especially with the AM show closing."
Her proudest achievements during her time at AM has been using the show to establish a Māori voice, she said.
Newshub's final day operating is on 5 July.
RNZ
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Radio New Zealand is a Crown entity established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995. Radio New Zealand News are vital elements in our programming, providing impartial news and information to New Zealanders every day. Radio New Zealand (RNZ) provides listeners with exciting and independent radio programmes in accordance with the Radio New Zealand Charter.
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