Watchdogs or Lapdogs? Indigenous Journalists' views towards Loci of Power

Indigenous journalism plays a crucial role in informing Indigenous societies of the world around them, allowing them to have their own voices heard and to tell their own stories. In this regard, much existing research has examined how Indigenous journalism serves as an agent of empowerment and can help to revitalize Indigenous languages and important cultural values. Of at least equal importance is Indigenous journalism's relationship towards loci of power within Indigenous societies, in particular news reporting of political leaders. Here, aspirations to empower Indigenous societies and provide counter-narratives to the typically negative reporting about Indigenous people can clash with the traditional journalistic function of being a watchdog of those in powerful positions. Drawing on interviews with 20 Māori journalists from Aotearoa New Zealand, a country with a relatively well-developed Indigenous media sector, this paper explores how Indigenous journalists' desire to keep the powerful accountable often creates ethical difficulties in terms of their own position within Māori society. To further illustrate this conundrum, the paper examines the reporting on allegations of mismanagement at a Māori Trust, and the subsequent reactions from Māori political leaders and journalists that led to considerable upheaval in Māori news media. The paper argues that Indigenous journalists can and want to be watchdogs, but it is important that such journalism is done within an Indigenous framework rather than a Western concept of watchdog journalism.