NZ On Air is thrilled to congratulate the Te Rito Journalism Project for its win for Best Innovation in Newsroom Transformation at the 2023 INMA Global Media Awards in New York.

The Te Rito Journalism Project is a ground-breaking journalism cadetship programme funded by NZ On Air’s Public Interest Journalism Fund (PIJF) – a collaboration between NZME, Whakaata Māori, Newshub and Pacific Media Network.

Te Rito was designed as an initiative to address the shortage of Māori, Pasifika and diverse journalists in the newsrooms of Aotearoa. Its first cohort of 23 cadets graduated in February and a second cohort has just begun the 12-month programme.

“This award is such a wonderful testament to the success of Te Rito,” says Raewyn Rasch (Ngāi Tahu), NZ On Air Head of Journalism. “And Te Rito is a shining example of what the PIJF has achieved, with projects like this bringing long-lasting benefit to the media sector and diversifying the voices and perspectives across the newsrooms of Aotearoa New Zealand. To have this initiative recognised on this scale is a huge achievement.”

Also recognised at the INMA Global Media Awards was Fire and Fury, a documentary from Paula Penfold and Louisa Cleave for Stuff Circuit, which took second place in the Best New Video Product or Feature category.

Fire and Fury, which again was funded by NZ On Air, was also a winner at last night’s 2023 Voyager Media Awards in Auckland – winning the Best Documentary category for its documentary for Stuff investigating disinformation in Aotearoa New Zealand.

“There is a lot here to celebrate,” says Rasch. “The fact that so many PIJF funded projects and roles have been recognised by independent panels of their peers – both in NZ and globally – really speaks to the quality of the public interest journalism we have been able to support.”

Ten further winners – as well as a number of finalists – at the Voyager Media Awards were also funded by the PIJF. 

NZ On Air is extremely proud to congratulate the following winners funded across a wide range of projects that reflected and connected with audiences across the motu.

NZ On Air and PIJF-funded winners:

Broadcast Reporter of the Year - News
Tova O'Brien

Best Innovation in Digital Storytelling
Vanishing Point with North & South - Faultlines: Preparing for the rupture

Best Original Podcast Episodic (joint winner)
The Detail - newsroom.co.nz and RNZ

Best Documentary
Fire and Fury - Stuff

Best Video Documentary Series
Still Here - Re:News/TVNZ

Best Editorial Campaign
The Whole Trust: Te Māramatanga – Stuff

Best Junior Reporter
D'Angelo Martin - The Hui/GSTV and Newshub

Te Tohu Kairangi Award
Mihingarangi Forbes - The Hui/GSTV and Newshub

Best Reporting - Crime and Justice
Melanie Reid - newsroom.co.nz

Best Community Journalist of the Year
Caroline Williams - Stuff

Community Newspaper of the Year
Ashburton Guardian

Regional Newspaper of the Year
Nelson Mail | Stuff

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