Deconstructing ethnic media: what makes Pacific media ‘Pacific’?

Department of Media and Communication

What makes Pacific media ‘Pacific’?

Content?

How they’re delivered?

The identity of the people delivering them?

The identity of the audience?

Tagata Pasifika

Native Affairs, Maori Television

Spasifik

Tagata Pasifika, TVNZ

Asia Downunder, TVNZ

Marae, TVNZ

Taimi ‘o Tonga

“You’d have to say you’d want Pacific people working on a Pacific programme, number one. So that you can get some tie in. There’s sympathy and some empathy with your target audience and the people that are going to feature in your programme.”

Stephen StehlinTagata Pasifika executive producer

Angela Tiatia, Tagata Pasifika presenter

Barbara Dreaver, TVNZ Pacific correspondent

Radio New Zealand International

Niu FM Mai FM Radio 531pi Flava The Edge0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Radio listenership and preference among Pacific Island radio listeners

Radio listenership among Pacific Island radio listeners (Which radio stations do you usually listen to?)

Radio preference among Pacific Island radio listeners (Thinking about all the ra-dio stations you are aware of, which ONE do you prefer to listen to the most?)

“The Pacific community thought it was about them, it was for them and it was made by them. And ... they didn’t think it was a TVNZ product. They thought it was their own.”

Stephen StehlinTagata Pasifika executive producer

“It’s that sense that this is our programme; you’re not going to do anything to it. That’s always been the buzz around Tagata, that people feel that sense of ownership because it reflects who they are.”

Sandra KailahiTVNZ 7 producer, former Tagata Pasifika

reporter

“You know who you are and where you’ve come from and I think my strength working in mainstream and as a newsreader is because I am Pacific.... I will join other groups and things but my connection, my number one, is because I am Pacific.”

Niva RetimanuNewstalk ZB

“I find that they want news from here. That’s what annoys most people with 531 ... instead of talking about issues that we face here, they’re talking about issues in Tonga.”

Wai TufuiKoli Tala’aho producer

“When you turn on Tagata you might get doom and gloom, but with some reasons and how people are dealing with it, and that Pacific perspective. Also ... the success stories, just what makes people do what they do and why they’re doing so well.”

Sandra KailahiTVNZ 7 producer, former Tagata Pasifika

reporter

Naked Samoans

What makes Pacific media ‘Pacific’?

Content?

How they’re delivered?

The identity of the people delivering them?

The identity of the audience?