NZ Cultural Stereotype

I’m not sure how some Australian media organisations work but this sub-editor must have really been struggling to make an otherwise routine story into something dramatic.

The article was titled: Maori property spat with Aussie investor

It details how a Maori group had been served trespass orders on a property in Kaikohe, NZ. All very routine.

Except for the accompanying photo.

Anyone with a vague understanding of NZ knows that this photo is not of any representative of any of the parties in the article. It’s a photo from a Maori cultural performance. The photo when I saved it from the article is even titled “803060-maori-haka”. Clearly a stock photo from the Daily Telegraph’s photo library.

More than 1 million Australians apparently visited NZ in 08/09. I guess this newspaper is trying to appeal to the other 20 million who have not been there and have some prejudice. The newspaper must also think that most Australians have a 18th century understanding and perception of Maori to serve this up as fact. Wierd.

Tourism NZ  spends large sums of advertising dollars with News Corporation. I wonder if they monitor such media? Seems their efforts have gone to waste in this case.