October 15th Solidarity - Remember the state terror raids

Media Studies Research Seminars
Tuesday 13 May, 4-5pm
KP 42, room 101

Tuhoe and "terrorism" on television news
Sue Abel (VUW)

There now exists a relatively large body of research which documents the ways in which "mainstream" news in Aotearoa New Zealand marginalises and/or distorts coverage of Treaty issues and of te ao Maori. Very little has been written, however, about differences in the ways in which Maori media select and construct news stories, and the implications of this. This paper is based on an analysis of the first day's television news coverage of the "terrorist"/"anti-terrorist" raids on the Eastern Bay of Plenty settlement of Ruatoki on October 15 2007. The analysis raises issues about the relationship between media and both "Maori world views" and "Maori realities". It demonstrates that, though mass media television coverage of the first day of the "terror" raids would, on the whole, have met the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) for balance, fairness and accuracy, it does not reflect Maori realities.