NEW ZEALAND: TVNZ's boost for Pacific coverage can improve

A new Pacific reporting unit at Television New Zealand has boosted coverage of Pacific Island events, but after one year of operation there is still a long way to go

Pacific Media Watch
Saturday, October 9, 2004

By Nic Daley

AUCKLAND (AUT Journalism/Pacific Media Watch): A new Pacific reporting unit at Television New Zealand has boosted coverage of Pacific Island events, but after one year of operation there is still a long way to go.

This is the report card on the unit as expressed today by people working inside and outside the team at the annual Pacific Islands Media Association (PIMA) conference in Auckland.

Barbara Dreaver, one of two reporters in the Pacific unit, told PIMA at Auckland University of Technology it was a good start but coverage needed to increase and become more issues based.

"We've got a responsibility as journalists and people to cover Pacific issues," she said.

"We need to have more domestic Pacific Island stories about knowing your community."

The Pacific unit was established by TVNZ's head of news and current affairs Bill Ralston last October. It has two full time reporters working on Pacific events and issues for coverage on TV1 News.

Dreaver, a Kiribati-born journalist, who spent eight years working in the Cook Islands before moving to New Zealand, says being involved in the Pacific unit allows her more time to work on an issue, instead of "chasing ambulances".

Stella Tanoi-Tagi, communications adviser for the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, says the increased coverage of Pacific issues brought about by the unit is good, but it needs to be more positive.

"Whether we have poor Pacific stories or celebration news stories, Pacific people are still going to feature, and that's good. But we donšt always want to have 'poor Pacific people always getting ripped off'."

She said disasters and conflict could be reported but this should be balanced with positive events.

"We need to highlight successes and things that are special about our culture.

"My concern is that there needs to be a balanced reporting of Pacific stories."

Dreaver said there needed to be more Pacific Island journalists to pave the way for greater coverage.

"If therešs more people doing it, then it starts to become more normal."

Technical obstacles often prevented pictures from being retrieved from some Pacific Island nations such as Kiribati, but future technology should help increase coverage from some smaller Pacific nations, she said.

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Date Posted: 10/9/2004