Media Releases
Marking a year of RNZ Chinese and IndoNZ
Released at 3:06 pm on 19 July 2024
19 July 2024
More than 1,200 original and translated stories have been produced and shared with audiences since the launch of RNZ Chinese and IndoNZ.
The RNZ Chinese and IndoNZ sections were launched on rnz.co.nz last July. They are focused on telling stories of Asian communities in New Zealand. Both sections are available in English, with RNZ Chinese also providing stories in simplified Chinese.
In the past 12 months, RNZ has produced over 1,200 original and translated online stories, generating more than one million page views. The stories have also been made available to about 40 media organisations across the country and the Pacific through content-sharing agreements.
The two-year initiative was launched in partnership with NZ On Air to serve the fast-growing Asian population throughout Aotearoa. NZ On Air funded the first year through the Public Interest Journalism Fund, with RNZ picking up the funding for year two.
NZ On Air Chief Executive Cameron Harland said the initiative was vital to connecting a growing Asian New Zealand audience with public media.
“Asian New Zealanders deserve content that meets their media needs, both in the languages they speak and covering perspectives and topics they can relate to. We are delighted to have supported this initiative to get off the ground and look forward to it growing as audiences discover the quality content,” says Harland.
In 2023, Asian New Zealanders made up more than 17% of the New Zealand population, with the two largest ethnic groups being Indian and Chinese New Zealanders.
RNZ’s Chief News Officer Mark Stevens said it was important for RNZ to cater to diverse audiences.
“As a public media organisation RNZ has a responsibility to reflect the ethnic and cultural diversity of Aotearoa in the news and content we produce. It is clear from the attraction to the RNZ Chinese and IndoNZ sections on the RNZ website and interest from partners in carrying the stories, that people are seeing a lot of value in this.”
Stories dissecting the joys and challenges of the Asian community living in New Zealand have drawn the highest interest.
Looking ahead
The establishment of the RNZ Asia unit is a big step towards RNZ’s aim to reflect New Zealand’s diverse population through the content they produce.
RNZ is focused on growing awareness of the IndoNZ and RNZ Chinese content in the Indian and Chinese communities as well as New Zealand as a whole. It is a priority for the organisation to ensure more communities see themselves represented in the New Zealand media landscape.
