Two ears, one mouth: a reflection on Te Matarau, a news media wānanga.
Last week, Media Chaplaincy’s General Manager Elesha Gordon attended Te Matarau, a wānanga about improving the representation of Māori and marginalised groups in news media. Here is her reflection:
Asides from the annual loud and flamboyant media awards, it is difficult to think of a time when representatives of Aotearoa’s variety of news mastheads had come together to work together for an entire day. Willingly - I must add.
Media Chaplaincy is a not-for-profit that strives to not influence our media but rather serve its people - which made it extra surreal to be invited to Te Matarau and sit amongst news leaders from across Aotearoa’s media industry.
I soaked up the rarity for all it was worth - and made the most of the incredible catering by Te Māhurehure Marae. Breakfast burritos are a gift.
There is a lot for us to learn when it comes to honouring the narratives of the communities we work alongside - and Media Chaplaincy is no exception.
Chaplains are trained to actively listen, to sensitively hear on levels beyond a normal conversation and to seek to understand the person in front of them. It’s a difficult gig, especially when we come with our perspectives, no matter how impartial we may seek to be. It’s an ongoing journey and I am very privileged to have a team constantly working on this.
I was inspired listening to the korero from keynote speakers Eddy Royal and Kaan Hiini from the creative agency, Curative. The pair talked about ways they were honouring the narratives of the communities they were working alongside. Every day they sought to practice what they preach, finding new ways to ensure people are recognised as experts in their own experiences.
We have two ears and one mouth, Eddy said. We need to use them in that ratio.
This has been echoing in my brain for the past week as I meet with media folk and support our chaplains. As a former journalist, I find talking much easier than listening - but we have to do better. We need to honour the people we have the privilege of serving; by being present as we sit in their presence.
Eddy and Kaan also shared the following thoughts, which I thought tied in beautifully with chaplaincy:
Relationships are key: We can only move at the speed of trust.
We need to create nourishing experiences: keep emphasising the importance of manaakitanga and conversations around kai (and coffee).
We need brave spaces for diversity and not conformity. We need brave and safe spaces for diversity and vulnerability - for people to show up in their true identity.
The key measure in all of this is trust. Trust can’t be brought and it is easily lost. It also takes time to build it.
The wānanga included a discussion about cultural safety, the power dynamics that play into exchanges of lived experiences, the colonial history of journalism, and the future of the journalism workforce. There was also a workshop on improving organisation representation - this was a closed session, which helped provide a safe space.
Overall this was a reminder of the wider issues in play for our media industry - which many are juggling on top of their day-to-day workload. But as one panellist said, it can’t be business as usual… and after participating in this event, and connecting with attendees, I am feeling positive about the future of media in Aotearoa.