Digital-first, Story-led Te Ao Māori News – On Māori TV!

Māori Television’s multi-platform media hub, TE AO MĀORI NEWS, is stepping up its daily bilingual news coverage in response to the latest COVID-19 lockdown.

As well as its flagship weekday news programmes – TE AO TAPATAHI in the early afternoon and TE AO MĀRAMA in the early evening – short news bulletins in English and Māori are now rolling out across all platforms during the day.

The Government’s daily press conference at 1.00 PM is also live streamed on Māori Television’s website, www.maoritelevision.com, and the MĀORI+ app.

Head of News and Current Affairs, Wena Harawira, says her team has been pressing ahead – over the past 18 months – with its vision to be a story-led media hub delivering quality bilingual content to anyone, anywhere, any time, on any device.

The mobile app, TE AO MĀORI NEWS, also drives important alerts and messages to Māori as well as providing free access to breaking news.

Harawira says an exciting development in the transformation is an increased focus on digital-first news with bulletins on linear now reserved for breaking stories.

In early 2020, TE AO MĀORI NEWS took a proactive response to the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that Māori communities across the country were connected and well-informed by its local, regional and national news in real time.

As a result, viewership, downloads and engagement continue to show a significant increase compared to pre-COVID-19.

“Māori Television has played a critical role in serving Māori during the global pandemic, confirming the need for Māori-led news, views and interviews in both languages,” says Harawira.

“Our capacity as a news organisation influences and informs the national discourse, reminding and holding decision-makers to account for Māori health and the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on whānau.”

Harawira says no other media outlet can match the same direct and immediate access to whānau in their homes.

“The pandemic has also created a unique situation that encourages our people to increase their connection through – and consumption of – media.

“Without the ability to connect in person, and faced with unusual stresses such as isolation, loss of income, and balancing tamariki care and mahi from home, whānau are naturally motivated to share their experiences and stories more than usual.”

The updated TE AO MĀORI NEWS content is free-to-air on Māori Television and Te Reo channels; online at www.maoritelevision.com; on the Facebook page, Te Ao; and now on the MĀORI+ app.

· TE AO TŪROA: Five-minute news bulletins in Māori every day at 10.30 AM and 2.30 PM.

· TE AO HURIHURI: Five-minute news bulletins in English every day at 12.30 PM and 5.00 PM.

· TE AO TAPATAHI: Half-hour live-to-air bilingual news programme every weekday at 12 noon on Māori Television; with highlights of the week every Sunday at 11.00 AM.

· TE AO MĀRAMA: Half-hour Māori language news programme every weekday on Te Reo at 5.30 PM (repeated at 10.00 PM) and on Māori Television at 6.30 PM (repeated at 11.00 PM); with highlights of the week every Sunday at 6.30 PM.

The Government’s daily press conference at 1.00 PM is also live streamed on Māori Television’s website and the MĀORI+ app.

© Scoop Media