Kiwi filmmaker spotlights media struggles at top global awards

AUCKLAND, Today: Bryan Bruce won another Silver at the New York Festivals Film & TV Awards for his documentary The Food Crisis, which aired on Sky Go last year. The globally competitive event features top-funded programs and an international jury.

Accepting the award, Bruce highlighted the challenges facing journalists in Aotearoa New Zealand. “Lots of journalists are being fired by the broadcasters, and funding for programmes in the public interest like The Food Crisis has dried up. So, this award, coming at such a critical time for media in Aotearoa New Zealand, means a lot,” he explained.

The Food Crisis, funded by the now-defunct Public Interest Journalism Fund (PIJF) set up by the previous government, delved into why food prices are so high in New Zealand. The new government coalition has stopped this funding.

Bruce, known for his previous award-winning work like “Inside Child Poverty Revisited,” noted a troubling trend in broadcasting. “But not only has that source of funding dried up the broadcasters are also shying away from independent investigative journalism,” says Bruce.

“Lots of journalists are being fired by the broadcasters, and funding for programmes in the public interest like The Food Crisis has dried up.”

He added, “Despite the fact that The Food Crisis rated well on Sky and has now won a major award in New York, the current broadcast market appears to have little appetite for the sort of fronted documentaries I make.”

He also mentioned the decreasing opportunities for airing such content on major networks. “Spaces on TVONE and THREE’s programme schedules are increasingly scarce for such material, as channels across the board focus on trying to attract viewers aged 18 to 39 and 25 to 54.”

Bruce stressed the dire state of in-depth journalism. “With newsrooms closing down and top journos being fired, Fourth Estate journalism which speaks truth to power is in a lot of trouble in our country and that’s not good for our democracy,” says Bruce.

Despite challenges, Bruce remains committed to his craft. He has launched Bryan Bruce Investigates, a new channel where he continues to push out critical content. “Given the reluctance of broadcasters to support independent investigative work, the challenge is how to reach Kiwis with stories that matter to their lives” says Bruce.

• View his channel here bryanbruce.substack.com
  
  

  ---