Why are we doing this?
The People's Commission is a community-powered review examining the structure underpinning media and public broadcasting in Aotearoa New Zealand, and the flow-on effects of that into content, platforms and availability.
We are undertaking the review primarily for the benefit of New Zealand audiences - broad and niche. Our goal is to identify policy and support mechanisms that will contribute to a robust, transparent and accountable democracy, and therefore benefit all of the people who live in, and love, this wonderful country. Benefits to industry, companies (private and public) and individuals working within the sector, are secondary.
The scope includes all publicly and privately owned media, with particular focus on mainstream media and public broadcasting.
Our goal is transparency in the process. If you would like to see updates and notes from the workshops in real-time, please check out our living document here.
We also want to ensure that anyone who wishes to contribute to this process, can. We are collecting submissions both online and at workshops throughout the country. Submissions can also be made anonymously if you wish.
Submissions are read in full and summarised (where need be) by ActionStation or Coalition for Better Broadcasting staff and volunteers before being passed onto our panelists, who have limited time. You have the option to indicate in the online submission form whether or not you would like your submission to anonymous.
What's within the scope?
Outside of the scope
Please note: The scope is here to serve the outcome which is to come up with recommendations for Government. Therefore something can be in the scope yet it doesn't have to make it into the recommendations. Equally if it becomes clear that something that isn't in the scope needs to be in the recommendations then we can allow that. Good quality recommendations are the primary objective and the scope is only there to help.
We are undertaking the review primarily for the benefit of New Zealand audiences - broad and niche. Our goal is to identify policy and support mechanisms that will contribute to a robust, transparent and accountable democracy, and therefore benefit all of the people who live in, and love, this wonderful country. Benefits to industry, companies (private and public) and individuals working within the sector, are secondary.
The scope includes all publicly and privately owned media, with particular focus on mainstream media and public broadcasting.
Our goal is transparency in the process. If you would like to see updates and notes from the workshops in real-time, please check out our living document here.
We also want to ensure that anyone who wishes to contribute to this process, can. We are collecting submissions both online and at workshops throughout the country. Submissions can also be made anonymously if you wish.
Submissions are read in full and summarised (where need be) by ActionStation or Coalition for Better Broadcasting staff and volunteers before being passed onto our panelists, who have limited time. You have the option to indicate in the online submission form whether or not you would like your submission to anonymous.
What's within the scope?
- Documentaries and current affairs news on television;
- Science, wildlife, arts and educational programmes;
- Drama, comedy and factual;
- Children’s television;
- News coverage;
- New Zealand content online;
- Government and industry support of innovation in New Zealand media;
- Entertainment vs information;
- Journalism and the decline in it's funding;
- The rise of “fake news” and "echo chambers" through social media;
- Māori Television, Iwi radio, Te Mangai Paho, Pasifika radio and NZ On Air;
- Live and freely available events of ‘National Significance’;
- Classifications and Censorship (R, PGR, GA etc);
- Special interest media for significant minorities;
- What does a modern 21st century media model look like?;
- The digital divide and UFB (ultra-fast broadband) availability;
- Media ownership across platforms, monopolies and foreign ownership;
- The impact of media on civics and democratic engagement;
- International examples and experiences.
Outside of the scope
- Quality of TV reception
- The loudness of TV advertisements
- Opinions on individual journalists and broadcasters (from Kim Hill to Mike Hosking)
Please note: The scope is here to serve the outcome which is to come up with recommendations for Government. Therefore something can be in the scope yet it doesn't have to make it into the recommendations. Equally if it becomes clear that something that isn't in the scope needs to be in the recommendations then we can allow that. Good quality recommendations are the primary objective and the scope is only there to help.
