Good news comes for regional reporters

This year’s Budget was announced by the government on the 22nd of May, and with it came changes to the country’s media sector. 

Radio New Zealand, or RNZ, is a Crown Entity owned public broadcaster and one of the biggest media newsrooms in the country. The new Budget saw their government funding slashed by $18 million over four years. 

Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith told Metronews that when he was looking for potential areas for government savings, RNZ’s funding was highlighted as an area of interest.

According to the Minister’s Budget announcement, RNZ’s increases in recent years saw a “boost of $26 million a year in 2023, on top of a previous increase of $7.6 million per year in 2020.” 

Minister Goldsmith says that this funding reduction will provide incentive for them to operate more independently as other newsrooms in the public sector and maintain the public’s trust through trust and transparency.  

He told Metronews that he has trust in RNZ to adapt to these changes. He says that this funding distribution of $6.4 million will benefit regional newsrooms and bring more diverse coverage to Aotearoa. 

“I think it’s an important part of the whole democratic process that people get to be exposed to that.”