Knowing yourself will close the gap

Tu Tangata, Issue 29, 1 April 1986, Page 10

Knowing yourself will close the gap

Maori representation in the media has always been outnumbered by our counterparts. But with the second Maori journalism course being run in Rotorua this year, the gap is closing.

And there’s more good news. Some parts of the media are starting to take their Maori news more seriously. In a ten year span, Maori news coverage has almost doubled in newspapers, radio and TV. That’s why a Maori reporters hui was held at Owhata Marae in Rotorua.

It’s become less fashionable and more of a need to have a brown face in a newsroom. It’s as if the media industry has just discovered there is another half to this country’s population.

As is usual for a Maori media hui, outside help was called for. Chris Winitana directed the course for the three day duration. Jenny Kaa, with the Vocational Training Council, talked about the importance to set up a national network of maori reporters.

She impressed on the 15 listeners, the importance of building a support base. While the numbers of Maori journalists have grown in 20 years, there are still too few Maori journalists. This fact alone lends weight to her concern for

Maori journalists to work together. “The distance between reporters is no obstacle. If you need help, or even just a korero, there are people around to listen and laugh with,’’ she said.

Regular contact with each other and whanaunga was one of the obvious methods to build this support base. Sharing story ideas and hang ups a journalist is facing with this support base could possibly help ones work performance and lessen the stress.

Derek Fox, of Te Karere fame, supported Jenny’s take. When he first started in the industry 20 years ago, he could count the number of Maori reporters on less than one hand.

One of his concerns was not the Maori news that is being covered but all the news the media doesn’t deem to be important.

Like the ones about the kuia living down the road, who hasn’t won an MBE or anything famous. And the real reasons why Hawaiiki Nui didn’t land at Auckland on the first go. In fact, he says, the media didn’t do justice to the Hawaiiki Nui voyage. Or the rastafarian case in Ruatoria.

The media coverage on both of these tidings barely skimmed the surface. No media deemed it important that Hawaiiki Nui covered the course 700 years after our tupnna without tho luv-

uries of the Whitbread contenders, including a compass.

Or, in the Ruatoria case, Pakeha interviews only included the police and armed offenders squad that was there. None of them thought to consult the local people, or maybe they couldn't approach them like Derek did.

Instead, heaps of money is being spent on making documentaries that don’t even directly affect New Zealanders.

“Everybody knows about a guy named Harold who lost his eye at Hastings. But hardly anyone knows about the canoes that landed in Aotearoa nearly 700 years ago. Or how tribes were set up in Aotearoa. Or that Maori people have occupied Aotearoa for over a thousand years.”

Tom Winitana discussed the importance of Maori perception when reporting. Identifying with ones spiritual, physical, psychological and mental state. Becoming familiar with ones surroundings. Getting back to the earth and appreciating the trees, sea or marae for their solace. Getting back with the essence of being Maori.

These were only a few topics he touched on. The general message was that if you don’t know where you are with yourself, there’s no way you can help anyone else.