Are Maori and Pacific programmes on television politically neutral?
Several times when I’ve watched the Maori news programme Te Karere, or Tangata Pacifica I’ve wondered if they were biased towards the left in general and Labour in particular. Revelations by TV3 add fuel to my suspicions:
3 News can reveal state broadcaster TVNZ is being used as a campaign base by Labour Party activists.
They’ve even held a meeting in TVNZ’s Maori and Pacific Unit aimed at fundraising for Labour.
The unit’s manager, Shane Taurima, has held ambitions to become a Labour MP and his staff have been arranging Labour Party business, using TVNZ facilities like email.
Mr Taurima has resigned following the revelation.
Mr Taurima’s a Labour Party activist. He could be standing as a Labour MP this election.
Documents obtained by 3 News show the state broadcaster is being used to help Labour’s cause.
Labour’s electorate committee for the Auckland Maori seat Tamaki Makarau has been using TVNZ as a base.
Last year, a meeting was held at the Maori and Pacific unit’s Hobson headquarters, next to TVNZ’s main building, with Labour Party activists swiped through security.
On the agenda was “fundraising” – making money for the Labour Party.
The unit produces news, current affairs and documentary programmes like Te Karere, Marae Investigates and Waka Huia. Mr Taurima has managerial and editorial control. . .
Using a workplace for political, or any other activity, without the employers’ permission is wrong but that would be between the employer and staff in a private business.
This employer isn’t a private business. It’s a publicly funded state broadcaster which is supposed to provide fair, balanced and politically neutral reporting.
Is it my bias which makes some of the Maori and Pacific programmes seem biased or has the political activism of some employees influenced what’s been broadcast?
The national in RadioNZ National has nothing to do with the party, it’s used in the sense of nationwide.
TVNZ’s board and management must ensure that anything to do with labour at the state broadcaster is in the sense of work, not the party or politics.
Defund it..
Political bias in reporting defund it
Political bias in Niwa defund it
Politcal bias take their funding away
It is the only way that neutrality can be restored.
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Agreed. Whats even worse is the Leader of the Opposition attended one of those meetings which means the corruption is total between Labour and TVNZ.
JC
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Public Television worldwide seems to favour the left wingers- just look at the ABC in Australia,BBC in the UK and PBS i9n the US.
They are good at lining up to the trough of government funding and then using it to0 push the grteen leftish message.
Time for TVNZ to be privatised !!
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