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An Artist Resale Royalty Scheme is being established to ensure the creators of visual arts are recognised and rewarded when their work is resold on the secondary art market. Cabinet agreed to the establishment of this Scheme on 15 August 2022. Standalone legislation will be written and will pass through the House before the Scheme is introduced by late 2024.
Artist Resale Royalty Scheme
Come along to our next Public History talk featuring Cybèle Locke discussing her recently published biography of Bill Andersen, Comrade, which examines labour activism, communism and social change, from the 1930s until the turn of the twenty-first century. This talk offers possibilities for how Bill Andersen’s Communist, working-class life might speak to us in the current moment. Join us via Zoom or at the National Library on Wednesday 05 April at 12.10pm.
Public History talk featuring Cybèle Locke - Wednesday 05 April
Following on from a significant first round of funding in 2022, Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga is delighted to announce a further 12 grants of up to $25,000 each have been awarded to iwi, hapū and hāpori Māori projects which support revitalisation of vulnerable mātauranga Māori. For more details, visit Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga's website.
Mātauranga Māori Grants programme recipients announced
Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage has been alerted to an incident of vandalism at Massey Memorial in Wellington. The Massey Memorial is a national monument and commemorates William Ferguson Massey (1856 - 1925), Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1912-1925. The Memorial is also the burial ground for Massey and his wife Christina.
Appeal for information: damage to Massey Memorial - Point Halswell, Wellington
Shakespeare’s greatest love story returns to the Royal New Zealand Ballet in May 2023, in a passionate re-telling choreographed by Andrea Schermoly (Stand to Reason, Within Without). Exquisite sets and costumes by Academy Award-winning designer James Acheson (The Last Emperor, Dangerous Liaisons), first seen onstage in 2017 to universal acclaim, bring to life all the splendour and seduction of Renaissance Verona, swept up in Prokofiev’s exhilarating, sensuous score.
RNZB presents Romeo & Juliet
Audio Described Aotearoa’s dream of increasing the number of Māori and Pacific audio describers has taken a step closer to reality, thanks to a grant from Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
Audio Described Aotearoa to train Māori and Pacific audio describers
The New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Taima Anne (Annie) Murray (Te Arawa) to the position of Chief Executive Officer for a five-year term. NZFC Board Chair Alastair Carruthers, in making the announcement today, said “I am delighted that we have found someone of Annie’s calibre to lead the Commission. She has exceptional experience and a deep commitment to stories from the diverse voices of Aotearoa. I have no doubt she will have a positive impact on filmmakers and the organisation in years to come”.
NZFC Announces New CEO
Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage has published its inaugural Long-term Insights Briefing for the cultural sector. The Briefing explores five key areas that will influence the vibrancy and resilience of the cultural sector ecosystem in the future.
Long-term Insights Briefing highlights opportunities for future of Aotearoa’s arts, culture and heritage

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Home Funding Media Sector Support

Media Sector Support

Our role

The media plays a vital role in a healthy democracy by holding governments and the commercial sector to account, sharing the stories that are important to us and reflecting who we are as New Zealanders. Our media showcases Aotearoa’s unique identity, culture and languages.

Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage works with the media sector and provides advice to the Minister for Broadcasting and Media, to help address the challenges and opportunities faced by the sector.

We also share guidance with the media sector on changes in policy and legislation that could impact on their environment and operations.

Working alongside our funding agencies, we draw on specific expertise within the sector to design and deliver initiatives that help media organisations evolve and flourish over time.

Latest Initiatives

Government has a range of initiatives underway to support the media sector in the short term and shape a more sustainable media eco-system in the long term.  

Strong Public Media
Public Interest Journalism Fund
Content regulation review
Post COVID-19 relief

Strong Public Media

Public media provide services that sit alongside those in the wider sector to ensure a range of trusted local information and perspectives are present and accessible, ultimately contributing to our social connectedness, democracy and cultural identity. 

Public media is also a key part of enabling effectiveness and sustainability of  New Zealand’s media eco-system.

All media – in New Zealand and globally - are facing challenges with on-going changes in technology, audience behaviour and traditional revenue models. The Government has a responsibility to ensure the investment it makes in public media meets the needs of New Zealanders in delivering accessible, relevant content and supports a healthy media sector.

As part part of the Government’s priority to strengthen public media in Aotearoa, Manatū Taonga had a programme of work underway – called the Strong Public Media Programme. The Strong Public Media programme was tasked with supporting the creation of a new public media entity, Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media (ANZPM). On 8 February 2023, the Prime Minister announced that this programme of work would stop.  

Detail of the Strong Public Media Programme. 

Public Interest Journalism fund

In February 2021, Minister for Broadcasting and Media, Kris Faafoi announced a $55 million package to support public interest journalism. The Public Interest Journalism Fund will support New Zealand’s media to continue to produce stories that keep New Zealanders informed and engaged and support a healthy democracy.
 
NZ On Air is administering the Public Interest Journalism Fund. 
 
More information on the Public Interest Journalism Fund 
 

Media and online content regulation

A comprehensive review of media content regulation in New Zealand was announced by Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon Jan Tinetti, on 8 June 2021. The review is managed by the Department of Internal Affairs, with support from Manatū Taonga. 

The review aims to create a new modern, flexible and coherent regulatory framework to mitigate the harmful impacts of media content, regardless of how it is delivered.

The framework will still need to protect and enhance important democratic freedoms, including freedom of expression and freedom of the press.

For more information please visit the Department of Internal Affairs website. 
 

COVID-19 relief 

COVID-19 exacerbated the existing challenges facing the media sector.  The drop in advertising revenue through the lockdowns also had a significant impact on many media organisations.

In April 2020, Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage worked with the sector to rapidly develop the $50 million media sector support package. This support package focussed on reducing cost and easing cashflow pressure for a range of media organisations.  $18 million made available to the sector within a month of announcing the relief. As of June 2021, $39.48 million has been delivered to support more than 300 media organisations. Organisations that have received support range from small broadcasters serving specific communities to large media companies that reach a spread of New Zealanders.

Manatū Taonga engaged MartinJenkins to carry out an independent review of the Media Support Package. More information on Media Support Package Review Report. 

The initiatives were:

Transmission fee waiver  in which the Government fund six months of transmission fees for DTT, DTH, FM and AM for eligible organisations.

NZ On Air Platform contribution in which Government fund 80% of the platform contribution fees for 2020/21 for eligible media organisations.

Advance purchase of news subscriptions in which Government make advance purchase on news subscriptions for selected government agencies for 2020/21.

Advance purchase of advertising in which Government make advance payment for government agency advertising space for 2020/21, to eligible media organisations.

Publications grant in which $4 million is targeted at media organisations that have yet to receive significant relief from the fund – in particular magazines and community newspapers.

Further information 

Other useful sites Unite against COVID-19 and COVID-19: Information for Businesses

If you have any queries please contact [email protected]

Thank you for subscribing - Media Sector Support

Subscription acknowledgement for Media Sector Suppport

Public Interest Journalism Fund

Minister for Broadcasting and Media, Kris Faafoi has announced a $55 million package to support public interest journalism. The Journalism Fund will support New Zealand’s media to continue to produce stories that keep New Zealanders informed and engaged and support a healthy democracy.

Our role in Media and Broadcasting

Working with the sector, Government looks at how support for the media sector can be shaped and implemented in the short and long term.

Publications Grant

$4 million of funds from the Government’s $50 million media support package was targeted at media organisations that had yet to receive significant relief from the fund – in particular magazines and community newspapers.

Government Advertising

The focus of more immediate relief in response to the impact of Covid-19 is easing cashflow pressure across the sector. Of particular importance is provide this relief to a wide range of local media organisations and channels, to support plurality of voice in the media.

Government News subscriptions

Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage on behalf of 32 government departments and 4 departmental agencies, will fund subscriptions or memberships to news services for these government departments for the 2020/21 year.

NZ On Air Platform Contribution

Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage and New Zealand On Air Irirangi Te Motu worked together to deliver an initiative that decreases the cost for broadcasters on their platform contribution by 80%.

Transmission Fee Waiver

Under the first round of this initiative Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage has funded the costs of six months of transmission fees payable to Kordia TV/FM, RNZ AM and for iwi radio stations.

Updated on 22nd February 2023