Radio New Zealand – known as a radio transmission company – aired in 1925.
Photo: RNZ / ROBERT WHITAKER
To mark the 100 -year -old milestone, RNZ is launching new scholarships – Centenary Scholarships – to support future journalists.
The program includes five study scholarships of up to $ 8000 each, with fellows also offered an internship at a RNZ newsroom, guiding a senior journalist and training with RNZ’s editorial director.
The scholarships will be intended to cover a year of bribes and will be applied to the academic year of 2026.
A scholarship will be allocated to each of the five main journalism courses in the country, which were identified by RNZ and the New Zealand Journalism Education Association (Jeanz). This includes the University of Canterbury, the New Zealand Broadcasting School, Massey University, the University of Auckland Technology and the Hamilton City Wintec campus.
RNZ chief executive and chief editor Paul Thompson said he wanted RNZ to continue there when it mattered to Kiwis.
“The scholarships reflect RNZ’s continuous commitment to Journalism’s craft and the importance of bringing the next generation of journalists.
“It’s not easy to be a journalist in 2025, the world is swimming in content and opinions, but this makes work journalists more important than ever.
“Verified professional reports and informed analysis are a tool we can all use to understand the noise,” said Thompson.
Jeanz President Greg Treadwell said the centenary scholarships are a wonderful RNZ initiative.
“Journalism educators across the country will receive the opportunity to be part of celebrating 100 years of public transmission and hope to have successful classroom candidates.
“It is more than a great opportunity for students. It is an important statement of journalism as a career at a time when it is under extreme financial and political pressure.”
He said public transmission helped in the fight against “forces trying to share us.”
“Here is the next 100 years,” he said.
To be eligible for scholarships, the candidate must study journalism or have journalism as a specialist only in New Zealand.
The bags are unique as part of the centenary celebrations of RNZ.
More information about bags can be found here.
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