PRINZ - Public Relations Institute of New Zealand

Christchurch Event: Impact through Strategic Media Engagement
2025-10-14 12:15 - 13:45 (Pacific/Auckland) | Environment Canterbury, 200 Tuam Street, Christchurch, 8011
25th July 2024 @ 11:30am - 1pm

Overview
You are invited to join Waikato PRINZ and Waikato-Tainui for an informative and engaging koorero on Maaori-led news and storytelling, featuring speakers from Waikato Tainui’s award-winning newsroom, Aukaha News.
Aukaha News recently won the Taho Ao Pāpāho Media Award for their excellent news and storytelling, which covers a wide range of topics. It is proudly by-Maaori-for-Maaori media, which aims to give voice to the unheard and unseen.
How are they leading the way in their mahi nationally, and what insights can be applied to our communications and storytelling?
Our speakers are Kereama Wright (Executive Producer, Aukaha News) and Jason Ake (GM of Communications and Engagement, Waikato-Tainui) who will share the story behind Aukaha News, including why it started and how it is different to other newsrooms. They’ll also share some favourite stories, and discuss the importance of indigenous and local stories, including te reo Maaori and Te Tiriti.
Kereama and Jason will discuss the impact of AI on news in Aotearoa, recent changes in the media landscape and what the future looks like from their perspective. They’ll also talk about how Aukaha News has invested in rangatahi (youth), how we can all do that in our mahi, and why we should.
At the conclusion of the event, we’ll announce the 2024 Waikato PRINZ Matariki Scholarship recipient, a young rangatahi Maaori who has been chosen by Waikato-Tainui and Waikato PRINZ.

That person will receive a one-year free PRINZ membership, a bespoke mentoring programme developed to reflect their interests and aspirations and are invited to join the Waikato PRINZ committee for a year.
At the conclusion of their one-year of mentoring, they will help lead and organise the 2026 Waikato PRINZ/Waikato-Tainui Matariki event.

Event location: Kākāriki House, The Wise Group’s Hamilton office, 293 Grey Street in Hamilton East. There will be a PRINZ flag outside by the entrance. Please sign in at reception and then go to the 2F Flow Zone room.
Parking: Note, there is no parking on site, and at lunchtime it may be busy on surrounding streets, so allow plenty of time to find parking. You may need to park a few streets away (other side of Steele Park) and walk in. The Wise Group is between McDonald’s and The Kindergarten Association building on Grey Street, a block from Made, Volare, Subway, Grey Street Kitchen and other eateries.
Kai: As this is a learning lunch, some food platters will be provided. However, you can bring along your own brown bag lunch (or grab a takeaway bite to bring from one of the many Hamilton East cafes nearby). Water, tea and coffee will be provided.
Maramataka: The event is on Takirau, an auspicious day in the maramataka – Maaori lunar calendar.

Takirau | Wind-down & relax, feel the taki of the marama
Hinengaro | Everything that comes up, must come down. Our wind-down and relax time.
Wairua | Our transition from our high energy phases to low energy ‘taki’ meaning rhythm. Maramataka is all about understanding your taki with the Taiao.
Taiao | Takirau te waa tika moo te Ngaki otaota ki te Whenua, Takirau is the right phase for clearing the weeds and maintaining the soil on your whenua.
Tinana | A good phase for practicing skills that have a beat o rhythm to it. Kia mau ki te ‘taki’ o too tinana.

Your speakersKereama Wright (Te Arawa, Ngā Ruahine, Ngāti Kahungu ki Te Wairoa) is one of the leading Maaori language broadcasters of his generation and is the Kaihautuu Matua (Executive Producer) of Aukaha News, which generates digital news and radio news for iwi radio stations around the Waikato-Bay of Plenty region.

Jason Ake is the General Manager, Engagement and Communications for Waikato-Tainui. He is also an executive member of Māori radio iwi network, Te Whakaruruhau, and a highly experienced and respected Māori journalist and was for a short time a member of the RNZ Board.

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