Kereama Wright has departed award winning regional news service, Aukaha News.
The Te Arawa and Ngā Ruahine uri was appointed as the inaugural kaihautū of Aukaha News after returning home to Rotorua in 2021 to help the local iwi radio station, Te Arawa FM.
Aukaha, initially a collaboration between Te Arawa FM, Tainui LIVE and Moana Radio, was launched in June 2021 after successfully securing funding from Te Māngai Pāho to pilot a regional news service along with Tahu News in Te Wai Pounamu, Te Reo O Te Uru in Te Kāhui Maunga and Kapu Tairāwhiti in Tūranga.
As the brain-child of veteran communications specialists and journalists Jason Ake, Roihana Nuri and Ripeka Timutimu, Aukaha was an opportunity to shape and mould the next crop of Māori journalists while building capability in the regions.
Three years later, Kereama says, Aukaha has built its reputation as a credible Māori news service focussing on “giving voice to the unheard and exposure to the unseen.”
“I believe Aukaha is a living example of mana motuhake and tino rangatiratanga in the sense that we have been able to cover what’s important to our iwi and communities in a non-eurocentric way.”
In addition to its weekly news outputs, Aukaha has produced kaupapa like, live streaming tangihanga of distinguished leaders such as Sir Toby Curtis and Ngamoni Huata as well as regional and tribal kapa haka competitions throughout its catchment.
“This was our way of determining for ourselves what Māori news was. In my opinion, it doesn’t get more Māori than covering the oratory and political discourse that occurs on the marae-ātea”, Kereama said.
As recognition of their work, Aukaha News won the Tohu Ao Pāpāho award at the 2024 Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori Awards.
“Me mihi au ki ngā pukenga rangatahi o ō mātou reo irirangi. Tae atu hoki ki a Jason Ake rātou ko Trina Koroheke, ko Sharon Te Rangi nō Tainui LIVE. Me kore ake rātou, kua kore tēnei kaupapa e puāwai.”
Aukaha will be lead by former Te Karere executive producer Roihana Nuri and Tahu News executive producer, Ripeka Timutimu.
Whakamōhiotia mai ō whakaaro! Ahakoa pai, kaore rānei. Share your thoughts - good or bad! - Kereama Wright
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