New Zealand

New Zealand is a democracy with advanced print, broadcasting, and digital systems. It is ranked eighth on the 180-nation 2018 World Press Freedom Index, compiled by Reporters Without Borders. However, neo-liberal market policies in place since 1984 have led this South Pacific nation of 4.8 million people to have one of the highest levels of market consolidation and foreign media ownership in the developed world. A new coalition government formed in October 2017 promised renewed investment in state-owned but independent public service broadcasting and digital media to repair a public sphere damaged by the profit-driven approach of traditional commercial media which, in common with many Western countries, has been financially weakened by digital competition. This entry provides an overview of New Zealand’s media, including its ...