Legislation outlining the charter and parameters of the new public media entity due to be formed by RNZ and TVNZ merging has passed its first reading in Parliament, as new research shows more Kiwis are getting their news from social media.
On Tuesday the Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media Bill had its first reading in the House, with Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson saying the new entity was needed “more than ever” amid rising misinformation and a rapidly changing media landscape.
National and ACT voted against the bill while Labour, Te Pāti Māori and the Greens voted for it.
The entity would build on the best of TVNZ and RNZ and keep what audiences valued, but would be designed to meet challenges of changing technology, audience change and global competition, Jackson said.
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The entity will be governed by a principles-based charter outlining expectations of its operation, which it will be made to report on each year for accountability.
The bill outlining the parameters of the new public media entity has passed its first hurdle in Parliament.
The bill also enshrined the entity’s editorial independence and role as a trusted source of news and information and recognised the entity’s responsibility to the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It includes objectives around reflecting Māori stories and perspectives.
The entity will have a mixed funding model, including state and commercial revenue, and while it will be a standalone entity it will be mandated to collaborate, where appropriate, with other media companies.
This could include sharing infrastructure in order to reach greater audiences and developing talent across the media sector, Jackson said.
The entity will be established on March 1 and be operational in July 2023. In this year’s Budget the Government allocated $327 million in funding over three years for the new entity.
RNZ
Beyond expanded public funding for three years, little more is known about how it will be run, by whom and what it will produce. (Audio first aired May 2022).
“The possibilities of what Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media will achieve are endless when it has audiences at its heart, a consistent focus and flexible, modern legislation,” Jackson said.
Last month in select committee Jackson faced a range of questions from MPs about the new entity. That included concerns about profit forecasts, the entity’s name and independence of and conditions for its journalism.
Concern has also been raised about the entity’s detachment from NZ On Air and its creation reducing media competition.
The bill will now be considered by a select committee and then go through a six-month public consultation period.
ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff
Broadcasting Minister Willie Jackson says the new entity is needed more than ever.
It comes as new research published by the Broadcasting Standards Authority on Tuesday found more New Zealanders were consuming news online and as a result, finding it more difficult to identify what is truthful.
The authority’s acting chief executive Helen Cruse said its survey of 580 people found that for the first time, social media had overtaken free-to-air television as the most consumed news media source.
Kiwis were concerned about this shift and were more trusting of news organisations which verified their sources, the research found. This was a result of the parallel rise in mis- and disinformation online, which was increasingly affecting people’s behaviours and attitudes.
Cruse said social media was not subject to the same checks and standards from regulatory bodies like the authority and the New Zealand Media Council. A review of how content is regulated in Aotearoa is under way, with a framework to help cover the digital world due to be presented to Cabinet next year.
Joseph Johnson/Stuff
More Kiwis are consuming their news on social media, new research has found.
The survey also found opinion-based reporting was causing confusion among news consumers. Respondents felt that in publishing more opinion, news companies were prioritising audience engagement versus presenting accurate information.
Accuracy remained the most-complained of the standards overseen by the authority, however, there was some tolerance for factual inaccuracy in certain contexts, for example in reporting breaking news, with an expectation this would be cleared up later.
Earlier this month the authority released a new broadcasting code outlining requirements for TV and radio programmes.
The survey had a margin of error of +/-4%.
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