The Green Party supports a thriving, vibrant media sector, with a diversity of accessible and independent sources to entertain and inform New Zealanders, and hold power to account. The media sector is changing fast, under enormous financial pressure in an environment of diminishing public trust. New thinking is needed. COVID-19 has brought the issues the media faces into harsher light, with sudden job losses and uncertain futures. Less journalism means more unchecked power for decision-makers, which is bad for everyone....

The Green Party will support publicly owned broadcasting services and fund locally produced content, prioritising those communities that are not well served by commercial interests, including Māori and children. We will support an independent media and enable community-based media.  Vision A strong, diverse and independent media contributes to the maintenance of effective democracy, and to our social, cultural, economic and environmental wellbeing. Values and Principles Decisions relating to broadcasting and media must uphold the following values and principles: Honour Te...

The Green Party has today welcomed steps to ensure public media in Aotearoa New Zealand remains strong.

Today’s Independent Policy Conduct Authority (IPCA) report into the 2014 raid on Nicky Hager’s home confirms that Police conduct was wrong and overstepped the clear legal protections that journalists have to defend their sources and provide independent critical voices in our democracy, the Green Party said. “Police have questions to answer about whether journalists from now on can expect to receive better and more lawful treatment than Mr Hager did. Police need to assure all New Zealanders that they are...

The Green Party is calling on Television New Zealand (TVNZ) to uphold its commitment to Māori programming and rethink their proposal to axe the dedicated Māori commissioner.

The Green Party has today announced that, in government, it will establish a contestable Public Interest Journalism Fund and restore Radio New Zealand’s (RNZ) frozen funding to inflation-adjusted 2008 levels. The $3 million annual fund will be available through Creative New Zealand to fund one-off journalism projects and ongoing salaries of specialist journalists. All funded content must be publicly available free of charge. Restoring RNZ funding to inflation adjusted levels will cost an additional $3.2 million a year. “There’s a...

The proposed merger of New Zealand’s largest newspaper publishers is bad news for a diverse media environment and shows the need for independent regulation to oversee media ownership issues, the Green Party said. “A free, diverse, and competitive media is hugely important for democracy,” Green Party broadcasting spokesperson Gareth Hughes said. “The proposed merger highlights New Zealand’s international outlier status, lacking rules regulating media ownership and diversity. “The Green Party has long advocated broader criteria for independent media regulation, similar...

The news that Native Affairs, an award winning show on Māori Television, is to be cut down to half an hour and to a sole presenter is disheartening and a step in the wrong direction, the Green Party said today. “I have been on this show many, many times, and have enjoyed the robust exchange of viewpoints. People need the space to have these important conversations about the issues that confront our communities,” Green Party Māori Development spokesperson Marama Davidson...