Editor lifts bar for NZ ethnic media
August 25 2009
The chief editor of a new community newspaper catering for the Indo-Fijian and Indian diaspora in New Zealand has vowed to raise the bar in ethnic publishing.
Speaking at a national Diversity Forum seminar today on the new Asian media, Dev Nadkarni of the Indian Weekender challenged mainstream media to make better use of skilled but marginalised ethnic minority journalists.
“Good and experienced ethnic journalists are languishing as bus drivers, supermarket shelvers - or at the best, subeditors,” said Nadkarni at Wellington’s Te Papa museum.
His newspaper has been able to tap into Indian journalism talent neglected by the mainstream media when the newspaper was launched in Auckland in March.
Twelve editions later the paper has already impressed with bold layout, strong news selection and community coverage along with “cricket and Bollywood”.
The Indian Weekender has captured a claimed third of the readership in the Indian diaspora of 110,0000 people – catering for readers with cultural roots from Fiji, India, South Africa and the Indian subcontinent countries of Bangladash, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The newspaper has also added a website www.iwk.co.nz and this week added a mobile phone-based edition.
Nadkarni, a former coordinator of the University of the South Pacific journalism programme and a journalist from Mumbai, has carved out an innovative publishing niche since he migrated to New Zealand from Fiji in 2005.
He founded Pacific Business Online, played a key role in developing the web-based edition of Islands Business news magazine, and is a co-director of the Knowledge Basket Pacific database.
Nadkarni said it had been especially challenging launching a newspaper in New Zealand amid a recession.
“People said we were either fools or absolute brave hearts,” he said, but the newspaper was rapidly becoming consolidated.
“We aim to feel the pulse of the Kiwi Indian,” and engage with the wider community.
Other speakers in the annual forum, hosted by the Human Rights Commission and marking the fifth year of the NZ Diversity Action Programme, included Chinese media editors and a researcher.
Henry Ho, chief executive of WTV, spoke of the cluster of television channels catering for the Cantonese, Japanese, Korean and Mandarin audiences in New Zealand, while Dorothy Li, chief editor of Skykiwi and an AUT University business graduate described progress of the most successful local website for Chinese youth.
Phoebe Li, an Asian studies doctoral candidate from Auckland University, talked about her “virtual Chinatown” thesis, saying how local Chinese media had boosted “brand awareness” with New Zealand mainstream media by providing crucial information during the so-called “pumpkin case” about an abandoned toddler and a high-profile kidnapping.
Speaking at a national Diversity Forum seminar today on the new Asian media, Dev Nadkarni of the Indian Weekender challenged mainstream media to make better use of skilled but marginalised ethnic minority journalists.
“Good and experienced ethnic journalists are languishing as bus drivers, supermarket shelvers - or at the best, subeditors,” said Nadkarni at Wellington’s Te Papa museum.
His newspaper has been able to tap into Indian journalism talent neglected by the mainstream media when the newspaper was launched in Auckland in March.
Twelve editions later the paper has already impressed with bold layout, strong news selection and community coverage along with “cricket and Bollywood”.
The Indian Weekender has captured a claimed third of the readership in the Indian diaspora of 110,0000 people – catering for readers with cultural roots from Fiji, India, South Africa and the Indian subcontinent countries of Bangladash, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The newspaper has also added a website www.iwk.co.nz and this week added a mobile phone-based edition.
Nadkarni, a former coordinator of the University of the South Pacific journalism programme and a journalist from Mumbai, has carved out an innovative publishing niche since he migrated to New Zealand from Fiji in 2005.
He founded Pacific Business Online, played a key role in developing the web-based edition of Islands Business news magazine, and is a co-director of the Knowledge Basket Pacific database.
Nadkarni said it had been especially challenging launching a newspaper in New Zealand amid a recession.
“People said we were either fools or absolute brave hearts,” he said, but the newspaper was rapidly becoming consolidated.
“We aim to feel the pulse of the Kiwi Indian,” and engage with the wider community.
Other speakers in the annual forum, hosted by the Human Rights Commission and marking the fifth year of the NZ Diversity Action Programme, included Chinese media editors and a researcher.
Henry Ho, chief executive of WTV, spoke of the cluster of television channels catering for the Cantonese, Japanese, Korean and Mandarin audiences in New Zealand, while Dorothy Li, chief editor of Skykiwi and an AUT University business graduate described progress of the most successful local website for Chinese youth.
Phoebe Li, an Asian studies doctoral candidate from Auckland University, talked about her “virtual Chinatown” thesis, saying how local Chinese media had boosted “brand awareness” with New Zealand mainstream media by providing crucial information during the so-called “pumpkin case” about an abandoned toddler and a high-profile kidnapping.
The chief editor of a new community newspaper catering for the Indo-Fijian and Indian diaspora in New Zealand has vowed to raise the bar in ethnic publishing.Speaking at a national Diversity Forum seminar today on the new Asian media, Dev Nadkarni of the Indian Weekender challenged mainstream media...
The chief editor of a new community newspaper catering for the Indo-Fijian and Indian diaspora in New Zealand has vowed to raise the bar in ethnic publishing.
Speaking at a national Diversity Forum seminar today on the new Asian media, Dev Nadkarni of the Indian Weekender challenged mainstream media to make better use of skilled but marginalised ethnic minority journalists.
“Good and experienced ethnic journalists are languishing as bus drivers, supermarket shelvers - or at the best, subeditors,” said Nadkarni at Wellington’s Te Papa museum.
His newspaper has been able to tap into Indian journalism talent neglected by the mainstream media when the newspaper was launched in Auckland in March.
Twelve editions later the paper has already impressed with bold layout, strong news selection and community coverage along with “cricket and Bollywood”.
The Indian Weekender has captured a claimed third of the readership in the Indian diaspora of 110,0000 people – catering for readers with cultural roots from Fiji, India, South Africa and the Indian subcontinent countries of Bangladash, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The newspaper has also added a website www.iwk.co.nz and this week added a mobile phone-based edition.
Nadkarni, a former coordinator of the University of the South Pacific journalism programme and a journalist from Mumbai, has carved out an innovative publishing niche since he migrated to New Zealand from Fiji in 2005.
He founded Pacific Business Online, played a key role in developing the web-based edition of Islands Business news magazine, and is a co-director of the Knowledge Basket Pacific database.
Nadkarni said it had been especially challenging launching a newspaper in New Zealand amid a recession.
“People said we were either fools or absolute brave hearts,” he said, but the newspaper was rapidly becoming consolidated.
“We aim to feel the pulse of the Kiwi Indian,” and engage with the wider community.
Other speakers in the annual forum, hosted by the Human Rights Commission and marking the fifth year of the NZ Diversity Action Programme, included Chinese media editors and a researcher.
Henry Ho, chief executive of WTV, spoke of the cluster of television channels catering for the Cantonese, Japanese, Korean and Mandarin audiences in New Zealand, while Dorothy Li, chief editor of Skykiwi and an AUT University business graduate described progress of the most successful local website for Chinese youth.
Phoebe Li, an Asian studies doctoral candidate from Auckland University, talked about her “virtual Chinatown” thesis, saying how local Chinese media had boosted “brand awareness” with New Zealand mainstream media by providing crucial information during the so-called “pumpkin case” about an abandoned toddler and a high-profile kidnapping.
Speaking at a national Diversity Forum seminar today on the new Asian media, Dev Nadkarni of the Indian Weekender challenged mainstream media to make better use of skilled but marginalised ethnic minority journalists.
“Good and experienced ethnic journalists are languishing as bus drivers, supermarket shelvers - or at the best, subeditors,” said Nadkarni at Wellington’s Te Papa museum.
His newspaper has been able to tap into Indian journalism talent neglected by the mainstream media when the newspaper was launched in Auckland in March.
Twelve editions later the paper has already impressed with bold layout, strong news selection and community coverage along with “cricket and Bollywood”.
The Indian Weekender has captured a claimed third of the readership in the Indian diaspora of 110,0000 people – catering for readers with cultural roots from Fiji, India, South Africa and the Indian subcontinent countries of Bangladash, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The newspaper has also added a website www.iwk.co.nz and this week added a mobile phone-based edition.
Nadkarni, a former coordinator of the University of the South Pacific journalism programme and a journalist from Mumbai, has carved out an innovative publishing niche since he migrated to New Zealand from Fiji in 2005.
He founded Pacific Business Online, played a key role in developing the web-based edition of Islands Business news magazine, and is a co-director of the Knowledge Basket Pacific database.
Nadkarni said it had been especially challenging launching a newspaper in New Zealand amid a recession.
“People said we were either fools or absolute brave hearts,” he said, but the newspaper was rapidly becoming consolidated.
“We aim to feel the pulse of the Kiwi Indian,” and engage with the wider community.
Other speakers in the annual forum, hosted by the Human Rights Commission and marking the fifth year of the NZ Diversity Action Programme, included Chinese media editors and a researcher.
Henry Ho, chief executive of WTV, spoke of the cluster of television channels catering for the Cantonese, Japanese, Korean and Mandarin audiences in New Zealand, while Dorothy Li, chief editor of Skykiwi and an AUT University business graduate described progress of the most successful local website for Chinese youth.
Phoebe Li, an Asian studies doctoral candidate from Auckland University, talked about her “virtual Chinatown” thesis, saying how local Chinese media had boosted “brand awareness” with New Zealand mainstream media by providing crucial information during the so-called “pumpkin case” about an abandoned toddler and a high-profile kidnapping.
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