RNZ and Pacific Media Network (PMN) will partner on a 12-month pilot to retain Pasifika talent in the industry and bolster coverage of Pasifika issues.
As part of the pilot, two Pasifika journalism graduates will join PMN for a year, with funding provided by RNZ.
RNZ Chief Executive and Editor in Chief Paul Thompson said RNZ’s funding of the pilot was consistent with the organisation’s commitment to deepening its connections with other public media entities and growing Pasifika audiences.
“We have a strategic objective to foster a strong national identity by providing trusted content and reflecting the diverse communities of Aotearoa and talent retention schemes such as these allow journalists who work in their communities to continue to tell the varied stories of Aotearoa.”
The talent retention pilot will see RNZ contribute toward the cost of hiring two graduates who will join the PMN News team.
They will also receive support from RNZ through its director of editorial quality and training and other key kaimahi. Thompson said the agreement will also result in more content sharing between the two public media organisations.
The pilot comes at a time when the Te Rito Journalism project cadet scheme is coming to an end and PMN Chief Executive Don Mann said it was vital that opportunities for the development of a pool of quality Pacific journalists continue.
“We have more than 8 percent of New Zealand’s population identifying as being of Pacific ethnicity but less than 2 percent of journalists identify as Pacific.”
