4 August 2022
Guidelines on Publishing Opinion
With the local body elections fast approaching, we felt it would be a good time to remind all PIJF recipients of the guidelines on publishing opinion versus analysis. This is because PIJ funding is explicitly not to be used for opinion.
A key role of Public Interest Journalism is to ensure New Zealanders can participate in democratic processes by providing accurate, fair and balanced information, especially in the lead up to elections.
To help with that, you can find our Guidelines on Publishing Opinion and Analysis – based on information from the NZ Media Council – in our Resources for Funded Applicants pages. Please note, the guidelines only apply to PIJF funded roles and projects, not other non-funded content produced by a publication or platform.
If you have any questions or would like further clarification, feel free to contact the Journalism team on journalism@nzonair.govt.nz.
Round 6 Public Interest Journalism Fund application dates
A reminder that Round 6 is the last round of the Public Interest Journalism Fund for 2022 and the criteria for this will be out on Thursday 25 August.
The funding will cover our three pillars: Project funding, Roles funding and Industry Development funding.
Deadline dates for applications to Round 6
- Round opens: Thursday 1 September
- Round closes: 4pm, Thursday 29 September
- Applicants asking for ≤$1m will be informed by Wednesday 9 November
- All funding decisions will be made public on Monday 5 December.
Looking ahead to Round 7 (Final Round)
- Round 7 opens: Thursday 12 January 2023
- Round closes: 4pm, Thursday 9 February.
- Applicants asking for ≤$1m will be informed by Wednesday 22 March
- All funding decisions will be made public on Monday 17 April.
To find out more about the Public Interest Journalism Fund and how you can apply, go to the Journalism Funding page on our website. You can also sign up to receive updates here.
Any other questions/pātai about the guidelines, feel free to email journalism@nzonair.govt.nz.
What’s the difference between the three pillars?
We have had some news media organisations seeking greater clarity on the funding types, or pillars, as they prepare their proposals for PIJF funding.
When applying for funding, deciding which pillar – Project funding, Roles funding or Industry Development funding – can be challenging, particularly if your proposal seems to cover multiple pillars.
To assist, we have put together a handy guide to help you identify which pillar is the right one for you to apply for. You can see that guide here on our website.
Spotlight on Te Rito
Since it was launched in April 2021, the PIJF has processed more than 300 applications across public interest journalism projects, new journalism roles, and training and development programmes.
One of the training programmes funded by the PIJF is the first-ever Māori, Pacific and diverse voices Journalism Cadetship training scheme, Te Rito, run by a collaboration of NZME, Whakaata Māori, Warner Bros Discovery and Pacific Media Network.
Check out our feature article on the Te Rito training scheme here.