Diversity shrinking with the media landscape

A journalism cadetship programme promised to transform New Zealand's newsrooms. But then the media landscape shrankWhat does the future hold for aspiring Māori and Pacific journalists who've graduated with the skills, only to find the opportunities in mainstream media have gone?In 2021 the Public Interest Journalism Fund (PIJF) launched the Te Rito Journalism Project, a $2.4 million initiative to boost diversity in New Zealand's newsrooms. The initiative was in response to the decades-long shortage of Māori and Pacific journalists in the media industry. It was billed as New Zealand's first 'groundbreaking diverse voices cadetship scheme', bringing in four media companies - NZME, Newshub, Whakaata Māori and Pacific Media Network (PMN) - to 'identify, train, develop and hire' 25 cadet journalists. The cadetship managed to roll out two year-long programmes, with the second cohort holding their graduation last month at NZME. However as Newshub prepares to cease its news operations and TVNZ cuts local programming, is it still possible to make room in mainstream newsrooms for diverse voices? Susana Guttenbeil, general manager of content at Pacific Media Network and a former journalist, is optimistic. "It has been short - it's two years, the cohort, but I think really successful. "So, of the two years there were roughly about 34 people who completed the programme and about 12 of those were Pacific, and so we talk about the 1.8 percent of Pacific journalists that make up the journalism industry here in New Zealand and we like to think those 12 people have now upped that to 2 percent or more." More than 8 percent of New Zealand's population identifies as being of Pacific origin. But have they all secured roles? "As far as the last year's cohort is concerned, I believe the majority of them have," Guttenbeil says. "And in this year's cohort I think one person has moved to Australia and is currently looking for work, but as I understand it there are a few opportunities that have just popped up recently for those cadets who are looking for work." So not really an unequivocal yes. Guttenbeil adds that before the emergence of PIJF, the Pacific Media Network has long supported Pacific journalism - it's part of their trust deed. However, she says it's "hard not to get mad" when bigger media outlets such as ABC poach their rising stars. …Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details