Issue 61 - editorial

A fresh, new start

Tena ano tatou katoa

As Aotearoa winds down for the summer holidays and we contemplate a new year, here at Mana Maori Media we are making a fresh, new start.

But in striking out on a new venture, it is the Maori way to reflect and take stock of your past. Ours goes back 12 years.

Mana’s first issue was in January 1993. The cover showed a regallooking Dame Whina Cooper. There was also a very young-looking John Timu in his All Black togs swerving past an opponent. And a group of kohanga reo kids leaning on a fence in Rotorua — my youngest daughter Mahina among them.

Since then there have been 60 issues of Mana. They were all true to our banner heading: The Maori news magazine for all New Zealanders.

But it hasn’t been an easy passage, with advertisers, in some cases still, slow or reluctant to support a “Maori” magazine.

Circulation and readership have grown steadily — we now have an audited 146,000 readers, and 3500 loyal subscribers all around the country as well as in Australia, various Pacific Islands, Britain, America and Europe.

I don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing, but this magazine has a unique pass on rate of 10 readers a copy. That means one of you buys the magazine, then it’s passed on to at least another nine people. Now, wouldn’t you really like your own copy? It would help us greatly if you took out your own subscription — so check out the Christmas Kete special offer on page 41.

Looking back through our archive there is now a huge body of work — so many stories about so many people. To the credit of our journalists, Mana today is often quoted or referred to by researchers, authors, teachers, public speakers, publishers and broadcasters. Many prominent writers, Maori and Pakeha, have helped us bring Mana
to you.

It all started one day in Rotorua in 1992 after two St Stephen’s School old boys – me as a senior student, and Gary Wilson as a teacher – decided it was time New Zealand had a Maori magazine. Gary’s background was in print media, mine in broadcasting. So it was that the magazine’s guiding hand became Gary’s.

Now Gary has moved on and I have assumed responsibility for future issues. Ka pu te ruha, ka hao te rangatahi.

Mana, under the editorship of John Woods — who helped us develop and design the very first issue — will continue to tell the Maori stories that need telling. Our original kaupapa motuhake still stands: to cover the issues, events and personalities of importance and interest to Maori.

Of course there will be changes to the magazine, because change is time itself. You will notice subtle differences even with this issue — the cover style, stronger opinion on politics and power, some new faces. We, the new team at Mana, hope you will stick with us in 2005 and tell your whanaunga, friends and workmates they should be subscribing, too.

Incidentally, it’s good to be back.

Nga mihi nui ki a koutou katoa mo nga ra o te Kirihimete, me te tau hou.