News Media to Blame

Tite whai Harawire attacked the news media, blaming them for the situation publicised in the newspapers, that of existing disension amongst the Maori people over the whole question of Maori protest in relation to land rights.

This statement was supported from the floor by a student who suggested that the news media would present to the public their (the news medias) particular view of reality, which would be adopted as real and factually true by the public.

It is certain that there is disension amongst Maoris concerning the protest movement, but this mainly relates to methods and the extent to which these methods are used, rather than complete disagreement with the aims of the protest movement. This point bears stressing since the news media has to some extent highlighted the disensions to discredit the protesters (though of course such a claim could not be proven conclusively).

A comment from the floor suggested that Dun Mihaka was being laughed at 'downtown', and that the only place where he would be listened to was in the Union Hall. But to my regret, even in our hallowed institution there exist people who will laugh at Mr Mihaka. If he had lived in the nineteenth century the Europeans then would probably have thought him 'quaint'. How fare have we come since then?