The Panel with Wallace Chapman (2020)
Channel: Patrick Te Pou
Date: 2020-12-17

ICYMI: In case you missed it, this is a complete "I've been thinking..." segment from RNZ National's The Panel with Wallace Chapman, which was broadcast on the afternoon of Wednesday 9 December 2020 at 3.51pm (approx).

At 3:20, my uncle - political commentator and ex-Labour Party candidate Shane Te Pou - talked about my love of the New Zealand media on that afternoon's show. It's a dedication not just to Wallace Chapman, who hosts the show, but to other broadcasters like Ryan Bridge, Mark Sainsbury, Corin Dann and Leah Panapa. And not just to the people of RNZ either but to the whole of the media landscape within New Zealand, as he described me as the 'savant' of the New Zealand media.

For those of you who do not understand what that means, the term 'savant' literally means a person affected with a mental disability (such as autism) who exhibits exceptional skill or brilliance in some limited field (such as mathematics or music).

As mentioned by me earlier, autism is a neurodevelopmental condition in which about 93,000 New Zealanders are affected. The traits associated with autism span a wide spectrum and lead to a different way of seeing the world and interacting with others. Autism New Zealand has worked continuously with the community to deliver thousands of educational programmes that increase public understanding of autism.

I was diagnosed with autism at the age of three and have excellent knowledge of the television industry and the media landscape in New Zealand, although I have never worked in it. 

If you would like to obtain any further information regarding autism, head to autismnz.org.nz or phone Autism New Zealand toll free on 0800 AUTISM (0800 288 476).