7 OCTOBER 2024 SPECIAL EDITION NEWSLETTER

Kia ora koutou

This week, the Classification Office – Te Mana Whakaatu proudly celebrates 30 years in operation. As an Independent Crown Entity our journey over the past three decades has been marked by our commitment to safeguarding New Zealanders while promoting freedom of expression. 

This milestone is a testament to the hard work of our dedicated team who have navigated a constantly changing media landscape. Our approach continues to evolve from the classification of physical publications in the 90s to now include online streaming services, and video games. We're ensuring New Zealanders can make informed choices about the content they consume.

Throughout the years, we've faced challenges like the rise of violent extremism and harmful digital content. These experiences have only strengthened our focus and expertise. Initiatives like the Youth Advisory Panel and innovative research projects, such as our award-winning Growing Up with Porn series, keep the needs and voices of New Zealanders at the core of our work. 

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the people who work at the Office, past and present, and to the audiences in Aotearoa who have trusted us over the years. Together, we look forward to continuing our mission to empower our communities and help families make safe media choices.

Aroha atu, aroha mai, tātou i a tātou
Let’s look out for each other

— Chief Censor Caroline Flora

#Mātakitahi #WatchTogether #KōreroTahi #TalkTogether #30YearsOfImpact #KnowYourLine

Image credit: Rebecca McMillan Photography 

Parental controls are your safety hack

To mark our anniversary, we are pleased to highlight our parental controls resources, offering tools and tips for parents to help them choose content safely for their families. We understand that navigating today’s complex media environment can be challenging. Our resources aim to empower parents, providing straight forward, practical information needed to make the choices that are right for them. 

Key milestones and interesting moments

To commemorate our 30-year journey, we have published a timeline that reflects our key milestones and the ongoing evolution of our responsibilities.

30 years of the Classification Office looks at what's happened from the passing of the Act in 1993, to the classification of some interesting high profile publications (such as playing cards, campervans, and the first video game to be classified), through to our present day research collaborations with the Youth Advisory Panel and partners such as Netsafe. 

What does our mahi mean for young people?

This week on our social channels we're featuring insights from current and former Youth Advisory Panel members as well as former Chief Censors about what the work of the Office has meant for them, and what the future holds. We also learn to answer to that universally relatable question: what was your first scary movie memory? Join us on socials this week and share your own scary movie experience on Facebook or Instagram.

Te Mana Whakaatu is an independent Crown entity responsible for classifying material which may need to be restricted or banned. This can include films, books, video games and online content. The Office can restrict or ban content that promotes crime, terrorism or violence. The Office also conducts research and produces evidence-based resources to promote media literacy and enable New Zealanders to make informed choices about what they watch.