Te Karere

Te Karere
Show name	Te Karere
Genre	News
Country	New Zealand
Language	Māori
Runtime	15 minutes
Network	TVNZ
First aired	1983
Editor	Derek Fox (founding)

Te Karere is a New Zealand Māori-language television news programme first broadcast in 1983. It reports on events affecting iwi, hapū, Māori organisations, and communities across Aotearoa, covering politics, tikanga, land issues, health, education, arts and sports. The programme has intersected with major New Zealand institutions and figures while contributing to Māori broadcasting, language revitalisation and media representation.

History

Te Karere began during a period shaped by activism around the Waitangi Tribunal and the Māori protest movement of the 1970s and 1980s involving groups such as Ngā Tamatoa and events like the 1975 Māori Land March. Founding editor Derek Fox launched the programme on TVNZ in response to advocacy from organisations including Maori Affairs Department-era networks and the Māori Broadcasting Advisory Committee. Early coverage intersected with cases before the Waitangi Tribunal, negotiations involving the Treaty of Waitangi settlements, and land occupations such as the Bastion Point dispute. During the 1980s and 1990s Te Karere reported on national leaders like Robert Muldoon, David Lange, and Helen Clark and on cultural developments involving institutions such as Te Papa Tongarewa and the Māori Language Commission. The programme adapted through policy changes including the establishment of Te Māngai Pāho and the growth of Māori Television, while remaining a fixture during events such as the Rugby World Cup coverage involving Māori teams and kapa haka festivals like the Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Festival.

Format and Content

Te Karere typically runs for a concise bulletin featuring reports, interviews and voiceovers, often including footage from locations across regions such as Northland, Waikato, Wellington, Canterbury, and Rotorua. Stories often involve leaders and organisations including the Waitangi Tribunal, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Porou, Tūhoe, Te Arawa, and national bodies like New Zealand Police and Ministry of Health. Cultural reporting connects to events at venues such as Auckland Town Hall and personalities like George Nēpia in sports history or artists represented by Toi Māori Aotearoa. Coverage has addressed legislation such as the Resource Management Act 1991 and institutions including Victoria University of Wellington and Auckland University of Technology when reporting on Māori tertiary education and research. The bulletin incorporates material from multimedia partners such as Radio New Zealand, Newshub, and community reporters aligned with iwi media trusts like Te Upoko o Te Ika.

Broadcast and Distribution

Initially transmitted on TVNZ 1, Te Karere later benefited from funding models involving Te Māngai Pāho and distribution partnerships with regional broadcasters including Whakaata Māori and community stations like Radio Hauraki for cross-promotion. The programme has been archived and referenced by institutions such as Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision and reported on by outlets including Stuff, New Zealand Herald, and international coverage via agencies that follow indigenous media trends. Te Karere content is available through broadcast schedules, online platforms associated with TVNZ OnDemand and clips used by academic institutions such as University of Auckland and Massey University in studies of Māori media and language revitalisation.

Presenters and Production Team

Notable presenters and contributors have included broadcasters and journalists who are also public figures connected to entities such as Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahungunu, and Ngāti Tūwharetoa. Founding personnel like Derek Fox set editorial direction, while later anchors and reporters have included graduates from journalism programmes at AUT, University of Otago, and University of Waikato. Production has involved collaborations with directors, camera crews and editors who have worked on projects alongside organisations such as TVNZ Studios, the New Zealand Film Commission, and iwi-led production companies. The team has engaged with mentors and advocates from cultural institutions including Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and arts funders like Creative New Zealand.

Reception and Impact

Te Karere has been cited in academic work on indigenous media by scholars affiliated with Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi and in theses from Victoria University of Wellington and University of Canterbury. The programme influenced public discourse on high-profile cases involving the Waitangi Tribunal and treaty settlements with iwi such as Ngāi Tahu and Tainui, and shaped reporting norms observed by outlets like NZ On Air-funded productions. It has been recognised by awards administered by organisations including the New Zealand Television Awards and discussed at conferences hosted by institutions such as Massey University and Auckland Museum. Te Karere’s persistent presence elevated Māori journalists who later worked across media platforms like Three and Prime Television.

Language and Cultural Significance

The programme has played a role in Māori language revitalisation efforts connected to the establishment of the Māori Language Act 1987 and ongoing initiatives by the Māori Language Commission (Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori). By broadcasting in te reo Māori it has contributed to domains of use for language learners at institutions such as Te Wānanga o Raukawa and community kura like Kura Kaupapa Māori. Te Karere’s cultural reporting intersects with performance contexts such as kapa haka and taonga including waka taua ceremonies and festivals at venues like Auckland War Memorial Museum. Its presence supports iwi-driven media entities, cultural researchers at places like Te Pūtahi-a-Toi, and policy makers within agencies such as Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage.

Category:Māori television