Public Service Radio, Indigenous Language, and Decolonization: Lessons from New Zealand

Abstract

As a part of 2016’s te wiki o te reo Māori (Māori language week), reporters on Radio New Zealand (RNZ), started signing off reports in te reo Māori (the Māori language). While some listeners praised the regular inclusion of te reo, others complained about the “over-Maorification” of the station. Through a rhetorical analysis, this article situates two key public complaints about te reo on RNZ within a history of colonialism. However, noting increased interest in Māori language courses, this article argues that, despite ongoing challenges, RNZ’s use of te reo also represents a “toddler step” toward decolonization.