How Māori women have reshaped New Zealand’s media through their native language
Early this week, Māni Dunlop, presenter of RNZ’s Midday Report Te Pūrongo o te Poutūtanga, sent out an astonished tweet: “It’s a record whānau (family) – no racist messages or texts on the show … is this what progress looks like!?”
It was at once both a gratifying and troubling announcement, which Dunlop said was premature. The very next day, the racists were back.
“I did get some pretty horrible messages, but not as bad as usual,” she laughs – a surprising reaction, in the face of targeted attacks. But for Dunlop, their negative effects are dampened by being staunch in her identity and in her reasons for speaking Māori on air.
Dunlop is the first Māori presenter on New Zealand’s national radio broadcaster
