AGENDA ITEM 2.12

PUBLIC INTEREST JOURNALISM FUND: PROJECTS
FUNDING DECISIONS

RECOMMENDATION
That the Staff Investment Committee approves funding of up to:
•
$999,781 to Discovery NZ for Newshub Nation 2023
•
$842,200 to TVNZ for Q+A with Jack Tame 2023

•
$737,036 to Great Southern Television for The Hui

•
$175,145 to Kōwhai Media Ltd for Voice of Tangaroa
•
$371,406 to Stuff for Stuff Circuit

•
$364,918 to Newsroom for Newsroom Investigates
•
$626,780 to Newsroom NZ for The Detail

•
$515,499 to TVNZ for News 2 Me
•
$457,000 to UMA Broadcasting for Paakiwaha
•
$27, 516 to Critic Te Ārohi for Critic Video Team
•
$169,340 to Tikilounge Productions for #OurMoanaOurHome
and declines funding of:
•

Eleven applications recommended for total funding of up to $5,286,621

BACKGROUND
1.
January 2020 Cabinet agreed to draw down $55m over three years (2021-2023) from the tagged contingency
set aside by Cabinet for broadcasting initiatives.  This funding is administered by NZ On Air to support the
production of public interest journalism, including Māori and Iwi journalism, that is relevant to and valued by
under the Official Information Act
New Zealanders.
2.
General Guidelines for the PIJF were published in April 2021. The principles set out in the Cabinet paper have
informed the design of the Public Interest Journalism Fund (PIJF). NZ On Air col aborated with Te Māngai
Pāho on the design and delivery of the fund. The General Guidelines were updated in March 2022.
3.
The PIJF supports journalistic capability across three funding pil ars: Projects, Roles, and Industry
Development.

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link to page 21 link to page 21
OVERVIEW
4.
The sixth round of the PIJF sought applications across all three pillars of the fund. NZ On Air earmarked $10m
for this round but given the large number of applications, lifted the pūtea to $12m. We received 59
applications with a total funding request of $17,833,071.
5.
There remains one final round of the PIJF which will open in January 2023 with circa $3m left to allocate.
6.
10 applications were declined assessment (see Annex A). One IDF project was recommended for funding in
this round and those declined for funding are included in the Annex A below.
7.
Three projects are recommended to the NZ On Air Board for approval:
•
Tagata Pasifika, Sunpix, $2,019,190
•
Te Rito, NZME $1,719,407
•
RNZ Asia Unit, RNZ, $1,114,672
8.
Building on funding already distributed in the previous four rounds, the Round 6 criteria focused on funding
that supports the sustainability, capability and capacity of public interest journalism in Aotearoa.
9.
Given the constrained pūtea, prior al ocations and expected demand, media entities were able to make
separate applications under each of the three pillars but the total number of proposals per applicant were
limited to:
•
1 Industry Development application
•
1 Project application
•
Maximum of 2 Roles (across both Targeted and Content Creation role categories).
10.  Applications to Round 6 opened on 1 September and closed on 20 September at 4pm. Recommendations in
this paper were decided at an assessment hui on 14 September.
11.  This SIC paper assesses Projects with recommended funding of up to $5,286,621 from a total ask of
$8,796,487
12.  The assessment panel for Round 6 included:
•

•

•

under the Official Information Act
•  Raewyn Rasch (Ngāi Tahu) – NZ On Air Head of Journalism. Former General Manager Māori and
Pacific programmes at TVNZ, executive producer of Seven Sharp, producer of Fair Go and Marae
Investigates, TV and radio journalist.
•  Gabriel Thomas - Journalism Manager, NZ On Air. Former executive producer of The Nation and
Firstline, producer Newshub Live at 6.
•  Dr Fairooz Samy - Journalism Funding Advisor, NZ On Air. Recently graduated from Victoria
University of Wellington with a PhD in Media Studies.
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13.  Conflicts of Interests are outlined as below. Funding assessors did not have access to the funding application
and did not take part in assessing the application or the funding recommendation:

GENERAL ASSESSMENT & STAFF OPINION
Newshub Nation 2023

Discovery NZ

$999,781
Key personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
14.  An election-year season of the live weekly political TV show, Newshub Nation. 42 x one-hour shows including
budget and election specials on Three.
General Assessment
15.  Newshub Nation returns in 2023 for its 13th season running from 18 February through to 2 December 2023
on Three and producing one more show than previous seasons. This season starts a week earlier than usual
because the team says it wants to get a flying start on election year.
16.  The one-hour television format is supplemented with live-streaming of all shows, an award-winning podcast
Supplementary Question and weekly text articles on newshub.co.nz. Programme segments are also edited for
Facebook and promoted on Instagram and Twitter.

.
17.  In terms of the 2022 season performance, in August, Finn Hogan (reporter) and Hannah Brown (executive
producer) won podcast of the year at the Voyager Media awards and Tova O’Brien won best presenter, news
and current affairs at the NZTV Awards for her work on Newshub Nation. She has since left the show.

18.
under the Official Information Act

19.  In terms of social media, Newshub Nation on Newshub’s YouTube channel shows approximately 5k-20k views
per video in recent uploads, with topical content receiving over 100k views. Facebook has 28k followers with
a reach of
and Twitter has circa 20k followers with
so far this year.

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20.  Impactful journalism included a revelation by the Defence Minister, that New Zealand has suffered four
secret state-sponsored cyber-attacks, analysis of New Zealand’s COVID wave with US Chief Medical Advisor,
Dr Anthony Fauci and credit from Alan Hal  who’s murder conviction was quashed by the Supreme Court. He
thanked Newshub Nation and former reporter
for drawing attention to the miscarriage
of justice with a series of investigations in 2018.
21.  The programme says it takes reflecting diversity seriously and says so far this year more than half its political
panellists have been wāhine, half have been non-Pākehā and a third have been Māori. It also ran a bilingual
programme during Te Wiki o te reo Māori with a centrepiece hard hitting te reo Māori interview.
22.

Although Oriini Kaipara has moved away from presenting the show she will
continue to be involved as a stand in host along with contributing to panels and stories.
23.  In 2023 the programme proposes a range of episodes to focus on the coming election including:

.
24.  Newshub Nation 2023 wil  continue to be hosted by Rebecca Wright and Simon Shepherd.
25.  The budget request for 2023 has increased by $21,606 with

Staff Opinion
26.  While similar in format to Q+A on TVNZ, Newshub Nation provides important plurality of voice especially in
an election year fulfilling a key role in public interest journalism by holding power to account.
27.  The linear audience remains small. However, the programme is diversifying online and looks to be striving for
new audiences and the success of its podcast series is an example of this.
28.  Staff believes that the budget increase is reasonable given the increased outputs as well as the increase in
contribution from Newshub.
under the Official Information Act
29.  This type of long-standing and credible public interest journalism remains important to Aotearoa New
Zealand’s democratic landscape. There is little doubt the programme would struggle without public funding.
Funding is recommended up to $999,781.

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Q + A with Jack Tame

TVNZ

  Requested $

Key personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
30.  Q+A with Jack Tame 2023 is the 13th season of TVNZ’s leading political current affairs programme with a
weekly hour of interviews, debates and discussions on pressing issues of the day.
General Assessment
31.  NZ On Air has funded Q+A since 2010, and over that time the programme has maintained a steady focus on
holding power to account, providing a platform for a diverse range of voices and perspectives with the aim of
leading New Zealand’s political conversation.
32.  As per past years, the outputs for 2023 will be 40 x 59’ and a 1 x 118’ special delivered between 12 February
and 12 November. It will be broadcast on TVNZ 1, streamed online via TVNZ+ and the 1News site along with
audio podcasts of each episode and social media posts of highlight stories and key moments.
33.  The budget request of $935,875 is an increase of $93,675 which is

TVNZ is offering a cash
contribution of
which is about the same level as last year’s
contribution.
34.  The proposal speaks to the programme’s commitment to demonstrating and encouraging cultural
competency and cross-cultural respect at all times and says it does this through “providing a platform for
Māori people and perspectives and through host Jack Tame’s ongoing work to maintain his fluency in Te
Reo.”
35.  It points to interviews with key Māori and Pacific leaders and says it has also sought to cover local issues by
taking cameras to regional areas covering local elections, co-governance, education, housing and disaster
resilience.
under the Official Information Act
38.  Q+A has its own YouTube channel with 6.5k subscribers on which they general y get a few hundred to a few
thousand views (it is a similar situation on Twitter). On Facebook the programme has 2.2k followers and
tends to have slightly higher viewers on topical discussions.
39.  The programme has received awards recognition and is a finalist in the 2022 NZTV awards both for Best
Released
Current Affairs programme and Jack Tame for Best Presenter: News and Current Affairs
40.  Looking towards 2023, the applicant says going into a general election, Q+A 2023 will play a crucial role in
the democratic system, getting beyond the soundbites and slogans and dril ing down into what politicians’
plans will mean for New Zealand’s future. The production team and host remain unchanged.

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41.  The applicant states its funding proposal is based on a full season across 2023 with commitment to staff
beyond July and pre-production for election coverage likely to take place in the second half of the year. The
proposal goes on, “If the funding for Q+A were to finish on June 30, that would create significant challenges
for the ongoing season, and likely result in the immediate cancel ation of Q+A for the remainder of the year.
The flow on effects from this could be journalistically and financially damaging.”
42.  The budget has been worked based on 12-month employment contracts, but the applicant says offering six-
month contracts would require offering significantly above market rates to engage its six staff. Furthermore,
the applicant states … “disruption in funding that resulted in the show being cancel ed would likely lead to a
backlash from disappointed members of the public. It would also bring to an end more than a decade of Q+A
being on screen, at a time when it has rarely been more relevant as a show. “
Staff Opinion
43.  Q+A fulfils an important role in public interest journalism in holding power to account and providing a
platform for informed political debate.
44.  Staff notes that since the programme sits well within the remit of the new ANZPM, it is likely to be funded by
that entity once it is established and this may be the last year of NZ On Air funding.
45.  The programme’s ratings success shows it is reaching strong audiences and its experienced team provides a
trusted source of political analysis and discussion.
46.  Staff estimates the cost per minute of Q+A at $467 per minute which makes it the most cost effective funded
local current affairs programme.
49.  This proposal spent little time discussing how the programme would be shaped in 2023 and in fact one
assessor wrote
’ Staff also noted less
emphasis in Q+A’s proposal on its commitment to diversity or Te Tiriti o Waitangi with Jack Tame’s
‘...ongoing work to maintain his fluency in Te Reo’ as one of the few concrete examples of efforts to improve
cultural competency.
under the Official Information Act
50.  That said, the proposal did receive unanimous support from assessors and given its history of delivering vital
PIJF to a wide audience, staff is recommending the applicant be funded. However, the NZ On Air Board has
decided that should the ANZPM come into being next year, TVNZ or RNZ applications funded through NZ On
Air baseline NZMF funding can only be funded up until 30 June 2023. While Q+A is funded currently via the
PIJF, as a legacy project, its funding has been transferred from factual baseline funding and therefore the
funding recommendation until 30 June 2023 comes into effect.
51.

Therefore,
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funding is recommended up to last year’s approved amount of
$842,200 for one year

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The Hui Series 8

Great Southern Television

   Requested $870,878
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
52.  Award-winning weekly bilingual Māori current affairs programme exposing injustice, triggering inquiries,
sparking debate, tackling tough issues, and celebrating Māori success.
General Assessment
53.  The Hui returns under a new host for 2023 but continues the format of studio interviews and panels with
strong field stories and investigations airing from February to December 2023.
54.  The outputs wil  be 40 x 28’ episodes, broadcast by livestream on M1ondays at 8:45pm with a linear
screening after Newshub Late on Tuesday and Sunday mornings, on Prime at 4:30pm Thursdays, and
Whakaata Māori on Sundays at 4:30pm and on Whakaata Māori online. The programme also produces 40 x
28’ podcasts, and 100 x bespoke social media clips.
55.  Since The Hui started in 2016, it has been associated with journalist
and producer
, however their move to Mata Media has seen a new host brought in – respected
journalist and broadcaster,
. The rest of the production team remains the same as the current
season. Producer
was a founding member of The Hui working as both a reporter and
associate producer for four years and went on to produce the award-winning series My Māori Midwife.
56.  The Hui’s long list of awards continues with the programme named Best Current Affairs Programme and Te
Māngāi Pāho Best Māori programme at the 2021 NZTV Awards. Mihingarangi was also named best reporter –
Māori Affairs at the 2022 Voyager Awards.
57.  With the General Election in 2023, the programme plans to focus on Māori seats in the six-week lead up to
the election col aborating closely with Newshub in election coverage bringing important Māori issues into
mainstream media. under the Official Information Act
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61.  On Facebook The Hui has just under 75k followers, but video views are limited, ranging from few hundred to
a few thousand views, with the occasional uploads above 10k views.

62.

Reporter
has a significant
following on Facebook and alongside a new role to be recruited of Trainee Editor/Social Media Driver,

63.  The Hui reaches Māori audiences around the world with a strong connection to the 200,000 Māori living in
Australia.

64.  Over its history, The Hui has provided training and career pathways for aspiring Māori and Pasifika journalists
and craftspeople and in 2023 it plans to recruit two new trainee roles to the team.
65.  The budget request is $870,878 with a supplementary request of
awaiting approval from Te
Māngai Pāho.

66.  This budget represents an increase against Series 7
and is largely made up of new trainee and digital
initiatives including a:
Staff Opinion
67.  Assessors were unanimous that The Hui delivers strong public interest journalism with stories that are
impactful and with
behind the desk could go on to continue a very proud tradition.
68.  The Hui has been associated for so long with current presenter Mihingarangi that staff was concerned
whether The Hui could continue in her absence. However, the recruitment of
and al  the mana
brings with
should ensure the programme’s continued success. One assessor commented, “Important
part of NZ media landscape and a very impressive proposal.
a big plus, fil ing mighty shoes.” The
proposal includes a letter of support from
confirming  is committed to the role.
69.  The total budget of
spread between NZ On Air and Te Māngai Pāho puts The Hui as the most
expensive current affairs show currently funded at

under the Official Information Act

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Show
Outputs  Total budget
Per episode  Per video
Platform
cost
minute
contribution
Q+A
41 x 59
Newshub
42 X 59
Nation
The Hui
40 x28
Te Ao with
35 X 26’
Moana
Tagata
49 X 22
Pasifika
71.  While The Hui has undoubtedly helped launch the careers of several Māori and Pasifika journalists, budget
constraints must be considered in an increasingly constrained funding environment with a growing number
of current affairs programmes.
72.  With the new ANZPM set to pick up direct funding of Marae and Mata Media in future and

, independently produced current affairs will provide an
important plurality of voice in the Māori journalism space. However, due to the constrained funding
environment, the funding increase could not be prioritised at this time. Funding is approved at to last year’s
approved figure of up to $737,036

Voice of Tangaroa

Kōwhai Media Ltd

$175,145
Key personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
under the Official Information Act
73.  A text/photographic and audio series of in-depth current affairs stories focused on the health and wellbeing
of New Zealand’s ocean environment.
General Assessment
74.  Voice for Tangaroa was funded in Round 3 of the PIJF as a ground-breaking project to shine a light on issues
relating to the oceans around Aotearoa New Zealand.
75.  Its success can be measured in several ways including the project team being on track to deliver double the
contracted deliverables with eight major features and two dozen smaller stories published or in production.

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76.  Kōwhai Media says the marine stories have been among the most popular in the magazine
•
x 5 issues in print
•
on NZGeo.com
•
reach on Facebook
•
reach on Instagram
* Nielsen CMI/Google Analytics/Meta Business
77.  Voice for Tangaroa has delivered strong public interest journalism including breaking the story of the
devastation of Otago’s vast kelp beds which once stretched 20 kilometres and the first efforts to track manta
rays in local waters. There were also stories on the collapse of the paddle crab species lost through
mismanaged fishery, and a failed attempt to contain an invasive seaweed on Aotea- Great Barrier Island.
78.  The applicants believe there are many more stories yet to be uncovered including; mitigating climate change
with blue carbon, investigating the promise of aquaculture, understanding the perils of pathogens from land
infecting Maui’s dolphins, travelling to the subantarctic to see what penguin foraging behaviour can tell us
about our warming world, determining the fate of Antipodean albatrosses which are being decimated by
fishing boats in the Pacific, and reporting on the increasing abundance of great white sharks on New
Zealand’s coasts.
79.  A new feature of this year’s proposal is a collaboration with RNZ to produce six podcasts leveraging the
substantial field audio produced by the Voice of Tangaroa reporters.

The NZ Geographic outputs will include six major feature stories
with commissioned photography and 12 department-length stories.
80.  The requested budget of $175,145 is a modest increase of $28,400 on last year’s funded amount and the
total budget of

81.  NZ Geographic was recently awarded the Webstar Supreme Magazine Award at the 2022 NZ Magazine
Awards and PIJF funded roles of
named Best Photographer with
named Best
Journalist – Consumer Special Interest, Current Affairs, Business and Trade.
Staff Opinion
82.  The new col aboration between NZ Geographic and RNZ wil  further widen the audience reach and maximise
funded content for a minimal cost.
83.  NZ Geographic is unusual among media - and particularly magazines - having an age breakdown that closely
matches the national averages, with a significant spike in favour of

under the Official Information Act

84.  Staff believes the applicant has found a job share arrangement to staff this project and believes the budget is
very reasonable for the breadth of coverage undertaken.
85.  In Round 6 Criteria, the PIJF signal ed we would welcome previously funded projects where they could
demonstrate their success and a continued need for funding. Staff believes Voice for Tangaroa has achieved
this criterion. It has also demonstrated that it is filling a gap in reporting by delivering stories no other
publication is covering on an aspect of our island nation often forgotten.
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86.  NZ Geographic has a uniquely young audience which helps expose them to strong public interest journalism
and given the cost of marine coverage, it is highly likely that without funding, the important stories being told
through this project would not be seen. Funding is approved up to $175,145.

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Stuff Circuit

Stuff

$371,406
Key personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
87.  90’ of in-depth investigation, comprised of one, two or three video episodes, depending on the nature of the
story, augmented by digital and print news stories, features, and other online storytel ing methods.
General Assessment
88.  Now coming into its fifth season, Stuff Circuit operates as an investigative unit within Stuff with
documentaries housed on the Stuff Circuit website supported by text features, news stories, and interactive
online features.
89.  So far in 2022, Stuff Circuit’s most high-profile story has been Fire and Fury which investigated the rise of
disinformation and anti-mandate protests.

This year they also published a searing investigation into foetal alcohol
syndrome, Disordered, giving voice to a man who has since died waiting for help.
90.  In 2021 the team spent several months investigating a story which was held up

With that story still
yet to be published, the team has managed to complete the 2021 contract with Fire and Fury and Disordered
published in 2022 which makes them stil  behind by 90’ on their 2022 contract.
91.  The programme continues to gather accolades winning Best Use of Online Video at the World Association of
News Publishers Digital Media Awards this year for Disordered. Paula Penfold was named Best Broadcast
Reporter of the Year at the 2022 Voyager Awards and the team also picked up Best Innovation in Digital
Storytelling for Deleted. Videographer
won a Silver award at the NZ Cinematography Awards for
his work on Deleted and Emma.
under the Official Information Act
93.  Stuff Circuit is created within the Stuff charter which enshrines commitment and respect for Te Tiriti o
Waitangi.

94.  The budget request this year sees a
and a 14.5% increase in NZ On Air’s contribution
mainly due to

The request sits at $371,406 with a platform contribution $447,372 (includes salaries). The 2022
NZ On Air request $324,200 saw no rise on the 2021 funding.

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Staff Opinion
95.  Stuff works hard to leverage investigations across its publications ensuring wide reach and audience analysis
shows strong engagement.
96.  The smal  team continues to produce an exceptional y high-quality product and have shown this year with
Fire and Fury that they do that at considerable risk to themselves.
97.  Stuff Circuit remains behind in its deliverables however it has kept staff aware of difficulties and staff
acknowledges this is the nature of complex investigative journalism and is confident the team will be able to
complete their outputs
. The proposal states the 2023
contract will only be commenced upon the completion of Stuff Circuit's 2022 funded projects, likely
early/mid-2023.
98.  Staff assessed the budget increase request as reasonable after a year without an increase and given rising
costs elsewhere. Apart from foreign travel, which may or may not be able to be utilised, there is little fat in
the budget, and it is noted that Stuff does make a majority contribution.
99.  While NZ On Air also funds Newsroom Investigates, staff believes the wider investigative net thrown by two
programmes provides important plurality of critical content for local audiences. In-depth, investigative
current affairs is a high risk, high impact endeavour which makes it problematic and often unprofitable for
publishers to provide. This is why support from NZ On Air is critical in this format. Funding is recommended
up to $371,406

Newsroom Investigates

Newsroom

$364,918
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
100.  Newsroom Investigates is a collection of agenda-setting investigations from the highly experienced, multi-
award-winning team led by Melanie Reid. Newsroom says it will continue to change the legal and political
landscape, expose malpractice, and hold power to account.
General Assessment
under the Official Information Act
101.  Newsroom is an independent news and current affairs site which has always been known for in-depth
reporting by experienced journalists. It is funded through advertising, corporate partners and private
donations. In a poll commissioned from Horizon for AUT’s 2021 Trust In The Media report, Newsroom ranked
behind RNZ and TVNZ but ahead of NZ Herald and Stuff for trust.
102.  Newsroom Investigates has been going for four years and in that time has become known for holding power
to account, and for running hard hitting stories that lead to political and social change.
103.  Newsroom Investigates won Best Individual Investigation at the 2022 Voyager Awards and was runner up in
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the Best Team Investigation and Current Affairs Programme categories.
104.  The proposed content for 2023 is six video pieces of at least 10 minutes each, the same as in 2022. Each
video would also be accompanied by a written piece for the Newsroom website.
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105.  New for 2023 is the addition of accompanying podcasts. The proposal says at least two podcasts would be
produced, utilising audio from video, plus voiceover from Melanie. It points out that podcasts could be a
valuable medium to use when participants in stories can’t be identified for any reason.
107.  The budget ask has increased from $336,358 to $364,918,

would support Melanie while
filming in the field, so she can focus more on her own role as interviewer/journalist.

Staff Opinion
108.  Newsroom Investigates has a proven track record of investigative journalism, with detailed and lengthy
research periods, that have had actionable and measurable impacts for audiences. It is as one assessor noted
“journalism of consequence”.
109.  Current affairs like this will be even more important than ever in an election year, and all assessors were
supportive of continuing funding.
110.  The increased costs in this year’s budget should bring extra quantity and quality with them, and most of the
budget has remained the same.
111.  Newsroom Investigates is quality journalism from an extremely reliable team. It continues to have an impact
in a way only the best journalism can. Funding is recommended up to $364,918.
The Detail

Newsroom

$626,780
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
under the Official Information Act
112.  The Detail is a daily podcast aimed at a younger audience that accesses content through non-
traditional channels. It is designed to explain the stories behind the headlines and give listeners
context, and a deeper understanding of important events. 269 x 26’ and 223 text articles.
General Assessment
113.  The Detail was first funded through the RNZ Innovation fund in 2019 and was funded by NZ On Air in
2020 for six months. It then applied successful y to Round 1 of the PIJF and is applying for what wil
be its fifth series. Since its launch in 2019, The Detail has become one of New Zealand’s leading
Released
podcasts with more than 7m downloads from third party platforms. In the last six months it has been
downloaded 1.7m times.
114.  Produced by Newsroom NZ as primary platform, The Detail is also broadcast on RNZ National under
an MOU with content additionally shared to Stuff and Newshub.
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115.  The budget request of $626,780 is for 12 months (30 January to 15 December 2023) as opposed to
the previous contract which was for 18 months.

This podcast would be a spoken
version of an in-depth story from Newsroom, RNZ or other media. To accomplish this, the budget
includes a half-day fee for a freelance journalist.
Staff Opinion
118.  One assessor commented, “I like that the proposal talks about being "the one place you can hear the
country’s top journalists, from all media organisations, elaborate on the stories they have written or
broadcast." Through that lens The Detail becomes a force multiplier for other good journalism.”
119.  The growth of podcast numbers shows it is reaching audiences and RNZ remains highly engaged and a letter
of support is included in the proposal. Further audience growth is anticipated with the arrival of YouTube
into the Podcast market and the applicant says both RNZ and Newsroom are working to capitalise on this
platform.

under the Official Information Act

In the meantime, The Detail remains a successful returning project providing strong PIJF to a diverse
audience. Funding is recommended up to $626,780

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News 2 Me

TVNZ

$515,499
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work



Synopsis
122.  News 2 Me is a 5’ news bulletin and explainer series tailor-made for tamariki between the ages of 8-14
producing 30 x 5’ eps and 30 x 5' podcasts broadcast on TVNZ 2 and RNZ and across social media.
General Assessment
123.  News 2 Me was first funded in Round 3 of the PIJF under the name Kids Kōrero and was changed to News 2
Me before it went to air in April 2022.
124.  The TVNZ – RNZ collaboration sees a weekly news round-up and series of ‘explainers’ air on TVNZ (TVNZ 2,
TVNZ+), RNZ (RNZ podcast feeds to Apple, Spotify, + al  podcast apps and National radio slot), 1 News and
TVNZ publicity social media and digital platforms (TikTok, Facebook, YouTube).
125.  A youthful studio presentation is supplemented by high quality graphics and animations including an
‘explainer Bot’ which helps explain issues and concepts. The audio/podcast version for RNZ replaces the
graphics with sound effects. The programme airs at 4pm Fridays on TVNZ 2 and after Storytime on RNZ
National on Saturday mornings.
126.  The applicant says the last year has been spent both establishing the series, bringing together the right team
(internally and externally) in order to build a robust production and it believes it needs a further year to
cement the concept.
127.  A wide range of topics have been covered in the explainers from current affairs such as fake news and
climate change to concepts like disappointment and tikanga. A list of potential topics for 2023 include
election coverage and an increase in Pasifika issues.
128.  The applicant points out that in the age of fake news and disinformation, the programme stands out as
under the Official Information Act
offering tamariki news from trusted news sources that bring to bear the same journalistic rigour to the
episodes as they do to their adult news.
129.  Although aimed at a core demographic of 10–12-year-olds, the programme has also attracted a secondary
younger audience of 8–10-year-olds. While the proposal states News 2 Me hit the mark with content, a
further season would see tone adjusted to ensure its right for 10–12-year-olds which may see the humour
turned up.
130.  The budget request of $515,499 is $1,865 down on the 2022 season ask

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Staff Opinion
131.  There is no doubt News 2 Me provides quality content from trusted news sources. A great deal of effort has
gone into ensuring the look of the programme is attractive to tamariki and the information is rock solid.
Given the declining linear audience, it is difficult to say whether the programme is finding its audience and it
is a reasonable proposition that the series would need at least another season to ensure discoverability.
134.  Although the budget comes in marginally less than last season’s, staff notes the proposal

. The applicant says they found it hard to source stock imagery that represented New
Zealand’s diversity and they want to commission Pasifika and Māori artists to create more bespoke images –
an important element in ensuring young audiences feel connected with content.

135.  The only comparable funded tamariki content is Kea Kids News which has been funded by NZ On Air since
2019. It has moved from PIJF funding this year to factual baseline funding for 2023 with an increased number
of episodes and a budget of $1,141,544.

under the Official Information Act
136.  Given that News 2 Me was a new project funded as part of the time bound PIJF it is exempted from the NZ
On Air Board 30 June decision regarding funding TVNZ/RNZ projects post the establishment of the ANZPM.
This is referenced  in (7) of the paper Operationalising FY22-23 Board Decision presented at the October
2022 Board Meeting.
137.  News 2 Me reaches the PIJF criteria for returning series, having successfully delivered content to a target
audience. Further funding wil  build on this development and invest in building youth audiences with trusted
and innovative bespoke news and current affairs. Funding is recommended for up to $515,499.

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Paakiwaha

UMA Broadcasting

$457,000
Key Personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
138.  To provide a Māori perspective on news and current events, deliver a positive impact on te reo Māori and
tikanga outcomes, increase audience engagement across traditional radio and digital platforms and
contribute to normalising te reo Māori.
General Assessment
139.  Paakiwaha is a bilingual Radio Programme broadcast on Radio Waatea and Waatea News Online five days
per week 7am to 9am for 48 weeks with a minimum of four to a maximum of six interviews per hour. Its
contract period would be from October 2022 for 12 months.
140.  Funded by NZ On Air since 2003 the programme has established a strong position within the iwi radio
network and this year was expanded under the PIJF to provide a full breakfast current affairs show
essentially creating a Māori Morning Report.
141.  The applicant says the new format has been successful and the additional editorial staff has allowed Waatea
to pursue a far greater number of Māori stories than envisaged. The current broadcast distribution covers 10
iwi radio stations and four community radio stations, social media, and the Whare Kōrero App.
143.  The budget ask is an increase of $24,000 on last season with

Staff Opinion

Now that
under the Official Information Act
automated data has been set up, staff should be able to produce comparable data going forward to monitor
progress.
146.  Assessors were all in favour of the application noting the programme’s long history, however one
commented, “There's mention of commitment to training but no specific plan on how they intend to grow
and attract new talent into the network.” Staff will look to take this issue up with Waatea.
147.  Staff believes the budget is reasonable especially given the 10 hours of content produced each week and the
small increase to cover a full-time producer role will be beneficial.
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149.  Paakiwaha provides strong public interest journalism from a Māori perspective and supports a wider iwi
radio ecosystem with trusted news and current affairs. Funding is recommended up to $457,000.
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Critic Video Team

Critic Te Ārohi

$27,516
Key personnel
Title/s
Relevant Past Work

Synopsis
150.  Critic Video Team is a year-long project of 1’30” weekly video segments (and monthly 4’ videos) covering
hyper-local news in Dunedin.
General Assessment
151.  Critic Te Ārohi (Critic) has been the student magazine of the University of Otago since 1925. It runs monthly
print and digital editions.
152.  Critic seeks to establish a video team comprising of one Team Lead (16 hours per week) and two Video
Journalists (8 hours per week) to produce weekly 1’30” videos from February - October 2023.
153.  Weekly videos would take an informational and interview-style format, presenting the largest news story of
the week and conducting on-the-ground interviews with university students to gauge reactions. Monthly
videos would provide explainer-type analyses of the main news stories of the month.
154.  Critic contends that video output is the best way to engage the youth audience and that their student base
has expressed a desire for video content. In addition to being shared on the magazine’s website, Critic will
post the news videos on its active Facebook (22k likes) Instagram (2.4 followers) and TikTok social media
accounts, allowing the content to be delivered more directly to students and hopefully encouraging
engagement.
155.  Critic also argues that video is essential to the futureproofing of the magazine, but that they do not have the
time or resources to produce video on a regular basis. Since 2021, Critic has made one video per year
(starting in 2021) with the help of one part-time photographer (4 hours per week) and one ful -time graphic
designer.

If funding is
successful, both roles would provide support for the video team at no extra cost.
156.  The application contends that introducing video news would al ow their up-and-coming journalists to
practice the skills needed for professional journalism and that the video medium itself will elevate
marginalised voices in the student community, which itself is an underserved and underrepresented group in
mainstream news and wider society.
under the Official Information Act
157.  The proposal argues that the Video Team would enhance relationships between Critic and other student
bodies, resulting in better quality news stories and more diverse perspectives. Critic regularly collaborates
with Radio One 91FM (a student radio station hosted on the university campus) and Te Rōpū Māori, the
Māori Students Association of Otago University. The Video Team would utilise this existing relationship to
share resources, news story ideas, cross-promotion, and video experience for Radio One’s student
journalists, as well as others in the Critic Newsroom.
158.  The application states that Critic is committed to the principles of Te Tiriti and to uplifting indigenous
perspectives, as evidenced by their implementation of a Kaituhi Māori position (Māori Affairs writer) in 2022.
The application claims that the integration of te reo Māori and Māori viewpoints are standard in the
Released
publication and any video content would be no different.

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Staff Opinion
159.  Assessors felt this was a strong application with one describing it as an “astute application that wil  develop
engagement with a difficult to reach audience for a very small investment”.
160.  Staff recognises that students are a hard-to-reach and under-represented audience, and as such, the PIJF has
endeavored to make sure that they are being served. This proposal was amongst the most reasonably priced
of all the video-producing applications in this round, with 40 episodes coming in at $688 per video. Funding
is recommended up to $27,526.
#OurMoanaOurHome

Tikilounge Productions

$169,340

Synopsis
161.  #OurMoanaOurHome is a digital video series for rangatahi about the impacts of climate change on
communities across several Pacific countries. The outputs include 15 x 3’ videos for TheCoconet.TV, 30 x
1’30” shortened clips for TikTok and Instagram, and 5 x 12’ talanoa panels, rolled out over May-Nov 2023.
General Assessment
162.  #OurMoanaOurHome looks at how climate-impacted Pacific communities are redefining mainstream notions
of the natural world. Led by Moana cultural kaupapa, the series fol ows the young Pacific people who are
stepping forward and proposing localised solutions tailored to the environments that their communities have
known intimately for generations.
163.  The rangatahi focus is because the demographic for Pasifika audiences in Aotearoa is young, with the median
age for Pasifika people being 23 years, and over a third of the whole population being under 15 years.
164.  The project will be led by award-winning grassroots climate change leader,
.
is a
former PIJF-funded TheCoconet.TV intern, has spoken at the COP26 Climate Change Summit, and is the
youngest winner of the Commonwealth Youth Award for her environmental activism.
165.  The other members of the team also bring rangatahi and Pasifika perspectives to the project leading local
reporting in the smaller islands and utilizing their networks for sources and leads:
•
  is  a  Samoan/Tongan  journalist  who  has  worked  as  an  on-camera
reporter for Re: News, TVNZ, and Radio NZ.
under the Official Information Act
•  Tokelaun
, Fijian,
, and Samoan,
are three
leaders from ‘The Pacific Climate Warriors’, an activist collective of young people from the
Pacific.
166.  The  project  will  come  under  the  supervision of  Executive Producer  Lisa Taouma  and  Consulting Producer
, to ensure that both Kaupapa and a journalistic lens are maintained.
167.  There wil  be 7 x 3’ videos with proposed topics such as:

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168.  There will be 8 x 2’ videos about climate change kaupapa in Aotearoa, including:

169.  5 x 12’ ‘Have Your Sei’ talanoa which discuss issues such as:

171.  In addition to the topic’s timeliness, the application argues that #OurMoanaOurHome will “act as a historical
piece to educate and inform our younger Pasifka generation about the island nations their forefathers built,
and their parents were born into.”
172.  Because of the geographic breadth of this project, Tikilounge wil  work with existing regional partners for
research and contacts, including the Pacific Climate Warriors, the South Pacific Regional Environment Project
and the Okeanos Foundation, an Ocean Environment protection group.
173.  Tikilounge will also utilise local reporters and production crews in its professional network in Samoa, Fiji,
Niue, and Tonga for footage and reporting in those areas. The application argues that the inclusion of local
teams speaks to the kaupapa of indigenous story sovereignty within the project.
Staff Opinion
175.  Assessors were unanimously in favour of this application, with one writing that it would, “engage valuable
rangatahi Pasifika audiences by exploring a relevant and important issue”.
176.  Staff were impressed by the multi-island scope of this series, feeling that it allowed for good representation
across the Pacific Islands from the communities that live locally.
177.  Staff also felt that the project’s collaborative design, which included local activists, local productions crews,
and environmental organizations, would enhance the quality and scope of the content.
under the Official Information Act
178.  Supporting Pasifika audiences has been an ongoing objective of the PIJF, and staff felt this proposal was
strong, compel ing, and had a good chance of success. Funding is recommended up to $169,340.

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ANNEX A: PIJF PROJECTS AND IDF APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED IN THIS ROUND

Project Name
Company
$ Requested  $ Recomm  Result
Three - Local
Approved – Panel recommends
Newshub Nation 2023
Production
999,781
999,781  funding approval
Approved – Panel recommends
Q+A
TVNZ
935,875
$842,200  funding approval
Great Southern
Approved – Panel recommends
The Hui series 8
Television
870,878
$737,036  funding approval
Television New
Approved – Panel recommends
News to me 2
Zealand
515,499
515,499  funding approval
Approved – Panel recommends
Stuff Circuit
Stuff
371,406
371,406  funding approval
Approved – Panel recommends
Newsroom Investigates 2023
Newsroom
364,918
364,918  funding approval
Kiwi Kids News Ltd
Approved – Panel recommends
Paakiwaha 2023
457,000
457,000  funding approval
Approved – Panel recommends
The Detail 2023
Newsroom
626,780
626,780  funding approval
Approved – Panel recommends
Voice of Tangaroa 2
Kowhai Media
175,145
175,145  funding approval
Tikilounge
Approved – Panel recommends
Our Moana Our Home
Productions
169,340
169,340  funding approval
Approved – Panel recommends
Critic Te Arohi video team
Critic Te Arohi
27,516
27,516  funding approval
under the Official Information Act
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under the Official Information Act
Released
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