In 2021, the Ministry for Ethnic Communities commissioned a piece of research through Niche Media and Reid Research to better understand ethnic communities’ main and preferred methods of communication with government organisations, as well as their consumption of media in Aotearoa New Zealand.

This research should be treated as indicative, however it does provide useful insights and can help inform you as to some of the channels which may be useful to disseminate your own information across the five ethnic groups surveyed.

The specific groups surveyed were Chinese, Fijian Indian, Filipino, Indian, and Korean communities in Auckland. In total there were 1,403 respondents: 549 Chinese, 128 Fijian Indian, 109 Filipino, 512 Indian, and 105 Korean.

Chinese community

About the survey respondents 

• 549 people were  surveyed
• 51% male; 48% female
• Average age of 44.2 years
• 61% have lived in NZ for over 10 years
• 59% work fulltime; 11% work part-time
• 33% own a business

How the community access information about government services

• 63% use government websites
• 47% ask family and friends
• 32% use social media
• 31% say they do not know where to go for information
• 47% say information is not available in their language

How the community consumes media

Below is a summary of the media consumption habits of Chinese communities in Auckland. Respondents were offered the chance to be interviewed by an interviewer who spoke Mandarin, Cantonese or English. For online surveys, these respondents were offered the chance to complete the survey in either Simplified Chinese or English. 533 respondents completed the survey in Chinese and 16 in English. The margin of error on a random sample is ±4.2% for this community.

Websites

• 93% used ethnic websites in the previous week
• 13% used non-ethnic websites in the previous week
• 79% use ethnic websites most often
• 9% use non-ethnic websites most often
• 7% never use websites

Social media

• 92% used WeChat in the previous week
• 45% used YouTube in the previous week
• 2% never use social media

Print

• 41% read ethnic print media in the previous month
• 30% read non-ethnic print media in the previous month
• 42% read non-ethnic print media most often
• 28% read ethnic print media most often
• 30% do not read print media

Television

• 34% watched an ethnic TV station in the previous week
• 22% watched a non-ethnic TV station in the previous week
• 32% watched ethnic TV stations most often
• 12% watched non-ethnic TV stations most often
• 21% do not watch any watch television

Radio

• 45% listened to ethnic radio in the previous week
• 31% listened to non-ethnic radio in the previous week
• 50% listen to ethnic radio most often
• 26% listen to non-ethnic radio most often
• 16% do not listen to radio

Fijian Indian community

About the survey respondents

• 128 people were surveyed
• 50% male; 50% female
• Average age of 44.1 years
• 84% have lived in NZ for over 10 years
• 68% work fulltime; 10% work part-time
• 17% own a business

How the community access information about government services

• 77% use government websites
• 25% ask family and friends
• 16% use social media
• 24% say they do not know where to go for information
• 8% say information is not available in their language

How the community consumes media

Below is a summary of the media consumption habits of Fijian Indian communities in Auckland. Respondents were offered the chance to complete the face-to-face interviews using Hindi or English. Online surveys were done in English language only. The margin of error on a random sample is ±8.6% for this community.

Websites

• 54% used ethnic websites in the previous week
• 6% used non-ethnic websites in the previous week
• 59% use ethnic websites most often
• 8% use non-ethnic websites most often
• 13% never use websites

Social media

• 90% used Facebook in the previous week
• 55% used YouTube in the previous week
• 36% used Instagram in the previous week
• 20% used TikTok in the previous week
• 1% never use social media

Print

• 44% read non-ethnic print media in the previous month
• 45% read ethnic print media in the previous month
• 39% read ethnic print media most often
• 44% read non-ethnic print media most often
• 22% do not read print media

Television

• 83% watched non-ethnic TV stations in the previous week
• 50% watched ethnic TV stations in the previous week
• 38% watch non-ethnic TV stations most often
• 26% watch ethnic TV stations most often
• 3% do not watch television

Radio

• 86% listened to ethnic radio stations in the previous week
• 29% listened to non-ethnic stations in the previous week
• 86% listen to ethnic radio stations most often
• 7% listen to non-ethnic radio stations most often
• 3% do not listen to the radio

Filipino community

About the survey respondents

• 109 people were surveyed
• 50% male; 49% female
• Average age of 42.4 years
• 45% have lived in NZ for over 10 years
• 75% work fulltime; 7% work part-time
• 6% own a business

How the community access information about government services

• 73% use government websites
• 37% ask family and friends
• 15% use social media
• 15% say they do not know where to look for information
• 15% say information is not available in their language

How the community consumes media

Below is a summary of the media consumption habits of Filipino communities in Auckland. Respondents were offered the chance to complete the face-to-face interviews using Tagalog or English. Online surveys were done in English language only. The margin of error on a random sample is ±9.4% for this community.

Websites

• 39% used ethnic websites in the previous week
• 19% used non-ethnic websites in the previous week
• 43% use non-ethnic websites most often
• 20% use ethnic websites most often
• 18% do not use websites

Social media

• 93% used Facebook in the previous week
• 69% used YouTube in the previous week
• 36% used Instagram in the previous week
• 4% never use social media

Print

• 50% read non-ethnic print media in the previous month
• 21% read ethnic print media in the previous month
• 61% read non-ethnic print media most often
• 16% read ethnic print media most often
• 16% do not read print media

Television

• 55% watched non-ethnic TV stations in the previous week
• 21% watched ethnic TV stations in the previous week
• 7% watch ethnic TV stations most often
• 22% watch non-ethnic TV stations most often
• 3% do not watch television

Radio

• 56% listened to non-ethnic radio in the previous week
• 5% listened to ethnic radio in the previous week
• 4% listen to ethnic radio most often
• 96% listened to non-ethnic radio most often
• 16% do not listen to the radio

Indian community

About the survey respondents

• 512 people were surveyed
• 56% male; 43% female
• Average age of 43.3 years
• 60% have lived in NZ for over 10 years
• 71% work fulltime; 11% work part-time
• 28% own a business

How the community access information about government services

• 78% use government websites
• 27% ask family and friends
• 17% use social media
• 12% say they do not know where to look for information
• 9% say information is not available in their language

How the community consumes media

Below is a summary of the media consumption habits of Indian communities in Auckland. Respondents were offered the chance to complete the face-to-face or phone interviews using Hindi or English. Online surveys were done in English language only. The margin of error on a random sample is ±4.3% for this community.

Websites

• 38% used ethnic websites in the previous week
• 12% used non-ethnic websites in the previous week
• 51% use ethnic websites most often
• 15% use non-ethnic websites most often
• 37% do not use websites

Social media

• 74% used Facebook in the previous week
• 50% used YouTube in the previous week
• 45% used Instagram in the previous week
• 8% do not use social media

Print

• 48% read ethnic print media in the previous month
• 47% read non-ethnic print media in the previous month
• 49% read non-ethnic print media most often
• 36% read ethnic print media most often
• 27% do not read print media

Television

• 56% watched non-ethnic TV stations in the previous week
• 39% watched ethnic television stations in the previous week
• 13% watch ethnic TV stations most often
• 29% watch non-ethnic TV stations most often
• 6% do not watch television

Radio

• 62% listened to ethnic radio in the previous week
• 44% listened to non-ethnic radio in the previous week
• 53% listen to ethnic radio most often
• 33% listen to non-ethnic radio most often
• 15% do not listen to the radio

Korean community

About the survey respondents

• 105 people were surveyed
• 54% male; 44% female
• Average age of 50.3 years
• 70% have lived in NZ for over 10 years
• 60% work fulltime; 12% work part-time
• 42% own a business

How the community access information about government services

• 44% use government websites
• 46% ask family and friends
• 21% use social media
• 32% say they do not know where to look for information
• 46% say information is not available in their language

How the community consumes media

Below is a summary of the media consumption habits of Korean communities in Auckland. Respondents were offered the chance to be interviewed by an interviewer who spoke Korean or English. For online surveys, these respondents were offered the chance to complete the interview in Korean or English. All respondents completed the survey in Korean. The margin of error on a random sample is ±9.5% for this community.

Websites

• 94% used ethnic websites in the previous week
• 17% used non-ethnic websites in the previous week
• 97% use ethnic websites most often
• 3% use non-ethnic websites most often
• 6% do not use websites

Social media

• 61% used YouTube in the previous week
• 55% used Facebook in the previous week
• 31% used Instagram in the previous week
• 6% do not use social media

Print

• 88% read ethnic print media in the previous month
• 23% read non-ethnic print media in the previous month
• 9% read non- ethnic print media most often
• 84% read ethnic print media most often
• 2% do not read print media

Television

• 30% watched ethnic TV stations in the previous week
• 16% watched non-ethnic TV stations in the previous week
• 23% watch ethnic TV stations most often
• 1% watch non-ethnic TV stations most often
• 10% do not watch television

Radio

• 39% listened to non-ethnic radio in the previous week
• 17% listened to ethnic radio in the previous week
• 17% listen to ethnic radio most often
• 64% listen to non-ethnic radio most often
• 39% do not listen to the radio