Social media

Date: February 2020 - February 2022

Reference: ATL-Group-00546

Description: Collection of memes and digital ephemera compiled by the Alexander Turnbull Library from February 2020 to February 2022, to document the use of memes as a form of internet expression in Aotearoa New Zealand during the first two years of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Memes are image files often including user-generated text, typically humorous or satirical in nature, which are created, copied, and shared rapidly by Internet users. These are often posted to social media or direct messaging apps, and remixed and repurposed by other internet users to respond to current events. Creators of memes are unknown, except where stated. The collection comprises a sampling of memes shared across social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit. Memes in the collection reflect a variety of viewpoints, and provide commentary on particular cultural moments in time. A majority are specific to Aotearoa New Zealand. The majority of memes in the collection relate to the global COVID-19 pandemic, and associated lockdowns in Aotearoa New Zealand, social distancing, working from home, and personal hygiene. The greatest number of memes collected on Aotearoa New Zealand social media was during the months in which there were national or regional lockdowns and alert level changes, most notably in April 2020 during the Covid-19 Alert Level 4 lockdown. Many memes document experiences and feelings of New Zealanders during lockdown. Some memes show examples of misinformation and disinformation relating to COVID-19. Another significant topic featured is New Zealand politics, politicians, and political parties, particularly in the lead up to the 2020 General Election. American and Australian politics, race relations, television, film, and popular culture are also prominent themes in the collection. This online content was collected as part of the Library’s rapid response collecting regarding the Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns/alert level changes in Aotearoa New Zealand. Viewpoints reflected in the collection do not represent the views of the Library or its staff. An algorithm chooses one image for display on the Library's website. If you are a rightsholder and have reason to believe we should not be providing access to this preserved content, please contact the Library. See also ATL-Group-00495, Ephemera donated to and collected by the Alexander Turnbull Library from 2020, for printed ephemera collected by the Library. Information about the New Zealand Web Archive is available at https://natlib.govt.nz/collections/a-z/new-zealand-web-archive. Quantity: 3338 digital image(s). Processing information: Memes by unknown creators have been described as monthly sets, with file names supplied by the Library. Memes that were harvested from publicly available Aotearoa New Zealand social media pages have been described separately, retaining their original algorithmic file name structure.

Date: July 2019

By: New Zealand. Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Reference: ATL-Group-00485

Description: The Facebook archives of the WW100 NZ project (2014-2019) and the Tuia250 Commemorations programme (2019). Downloaded and supplied to the library by Matthew Tonks from Ministry for Culture and Heritage in July 2019. Manatū Taonga - Ministry for Culture and Heritage was the base for the the First World War Centenary Programme Office which oversaw New Zealand's First World War Centenary (WW100) programme marking the First World War centenary from 2014 to 2019. The Office ran an official WW100 Facebook acount during the programme. MCH was also the lead government agency for the programme Tuia – Encounters 250, or Tuia 250, whiuch commemorated 250 years since the first onshore meetings between Māori and Pākehā in 1769–70 and the voyaging heritage of Pacific peoples. The Tuia – Encounters 250 National Coordinating Committee based within the Ministry ran an offiical Facebook Tuia250 account. Quantity: 2 Electronic document(s) 2 zipped files.

Date: 2019-2020

Reference: ATL-Group-00494

Description: Downloaded archives of Facebook accounts from New Zealanders donated to the Alexander Turnbull Library as part of its centennary collecting initiative, provided as either JSON or html data files. Archives include timeline posts, photographs, videos, and other user data. Some archives also include messages and activity within groups. The ATL100 Facebook archive project invited New Zealanders to donate their Facebook archives to the Alexander Turnbull Library in order to build a collection that future researchers may use to understand what content was shared online via social media platforms like Facebook to help document the rich context of early 21st Century digital culture and life. More information about the project is available on the Library's blog at https://natlib.govt.nz/blog/posts/is-your-facebook-account-an-archive-of-the-future. Quantity: 17 data set(s) .zip files.

Date: 2014

From: Winter, Mark, 1958- : Digital cartoons published in the Southland Times and other papers

Reference: DCDL-0029709

Description: Shows two versions of a cartoon relating to Queen Elizabeth sending her first tweet on Twitter. Multiple versions of this cartoon are available Quantity: 2 digital cartoon(s).

Date: 2014

From: Moreu, Michael, 1969-: [Digital cartoons published in the Christchurch Press and Fairfax Media]

Reference: DCDL-0029877

Description: Cartoon shows a man reading 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' by Lewis Carroll as a bedtime story to his daugther. She asks if the Queen of Hearts posted beheading videos to YouTube. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).

Date: 2014

From: Murdoch, Sharon Gay, 1960-: Digital cartoons published in The Press, Sunday Star Times, Dominion Post, and other publications

By: Press (Christchurch, N.Z.); Murdoch, Sharon Gay, 1960-

Reference: DCDL-0030129

Description: Shows a Muslim woman and child isolated from a surrounding group of red figures, a few of whom raise their hands and say "I'll ride with you". Refers to the central Sydney hostage siege at the Lindt cafe and the resultant media coverage and social media response. The cartoonist tweeted: 'As ppl eye eachother anxiously in Australia after seige, #Illridewithyou. A hopeful cartoon'. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).

Date: 2014

From: Moreu, Michael, 1969-: [Digital cartoons published in the Christchurch Press and Fairfax Media]

Reference: DCDL-0030553

Description: Depicts a New Zealand spy piggyback riding on a man wearing a turban. Contrasts the Twitter hashtag #illridewithyou social media campaign in Sydney, Australia, which supports Australian Muslims, with the New Zealand Countering Terrorist Fighters Legislation Act which allows for warrantless surveillance on private properties. Refers to fears that the Muslim community will be targeted by the SIS. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).

Date: 2015

From: Moreu, Michael, 1969-: [Digital cartoons published in the Christchurch Press and Fairfax Media]

Reference: DCDL-0030574

Description: Depicts the Piped Piper holding a laptop showing the Facebook logo on its screen as he's followed by three children holding tablets and cellphones. Refers to potential for sexual offenders to use social media to approach children. On 10 January 2015, a Canterbury 12 year old boy was contacted by a Facebook user and asked to send naked photographs of himself to the new Facebook friend. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).

Date: 2013

From: Winter, Mark, 1958- : Digital cartoons published in the Southland Times and other papers

By: Southland times (Newspaper)

Reference: DCDL-0025683

Description: Under the caption 'Vatican offers "time off in Purgatory" to Twitter followers of Pope Francis' stands Pope Francis I who is saying 'Cell your soul', The cartoonist's comment is '@men!' In July 2013 it was reported that the Vatican has offered 'indulgences' in time in Purgatory to those who follow the tweets of of the new Pope Francis I on Twitter social media. The Pope's pun of 'Cell your Soul' refers to the use of Titter on cell phones and to the 'selling' of souls. The cartoonist has converted the word 'amen' into '@men', a twitter address. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).

Date: 2013

From: Various artists :[Entries in the Young Cartoonist Award. 2013]

By: Conaco, Marc, active 2013

Reference: DCDL-0025744

Description: Shows three drunk young women in a dishevelled state pouring alcohol on themselves, with one of them lying down while the other two strike poses. The work also features five hashtags, #WASTED, #EpicWeekend, #DoingItAgain, #FunCoolKids and #YOLO (you only live once), referring to Twitter streams and the public posting of anti-social behaviour. The cartoonist has said that: 'The cartoon is a reflection of how binge drinking is perceived by a majority of kiwis (specially in people aged 18-24) - a right [sic] of passage and a necessity for a good time, without heeding its detrimental effects.' Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).

Date: 2013

From: Smith, Hayden James, 1976-:[Digital cartoons published in the Otago Daily Times]

By: Otago daily times (Newspaper)

Reference: DCDL-0025919

Description: A woman storms out of her boss's office, having left a bucket of vomit on his desk. Her boss is stunned, and another colleague says, "Ooo... lemme guess - you asked to see her facebook page, right?" A newspaper headline reads, 'News - employers pry into personal information to verify sick leave'. Refers to incidents where employers have checked employee facebook accounts of employees on sick leave. The Employment Relations Authority recently ruled in a case upholding an employee's dismissal for misuse of sick leave, after an he called in sick, but then posted photos on Facebook of himself that day at an event. (Stuff.co.nz, 2 August 2013) Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).

Date: 2013

From: Hawkey, Allan Charles, 1941- :[Digital cartoons published in the Waikato Times].

By: Waikato Times (Newspaper)

Reference: DCDL-0026022

Description: A young boy asks a man "Would you like a new friend on Facebook for Father's Day?" Context is Fathers' Day on Sunday 1 September 2013 and generational differences in attitude towards social media. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).

Date: 2012

From: Winter, Mark, 1958- : Digital cartoons published in the Southland Times and other papers

By: Southland times (Newspaper)

Reference: DCDL-0023675

Description: Shows the Pope standing near a sign that says, Rome Tweet Rome, with the caption, 'Mass communication'. Refers to Pope Benedict XVI, who created a Twitter account, @Pontifex, on 12 December 2012. Title from file name Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).

Date: 2015

From: Scott, Thomas, 1947- :[Digital cartoons published in the Dominion Post]

By: Dominion post (Newspaper)

Reference: DCDL-0030922

Description: Shows a man giving an eyewitness statement to a policeman "They were at it like knives over there, clear as a bell, it was disgusting. Went on for nearly an hour. I know 'cos the battery in my cell phone went flat..." Context is the Christchurch office workers who were filmed and photographed having after-hours sex in the office by people in a nearby pub. The incident went viral internationally in the media and on the internet. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).

Date: 2015

From: Hubbard, James, 1949-: Digital caricatures and cartoons

By: Setford News Photo Agency

Reference: DCDL-0031013

Description: Depicts a messy office covered with paper, clothing, spilled liquid, wine glasses and empty wine bottles. Naked limbs can be seen behind a desk under a plaque labelled 'Voyeur Insurances Inc'. Pairs of eyes look through a darkened window. Refers to an incident where Carlton Bar and Eatery patrons filmed and uploaded to social media a couple having sex in the office of insurance firm Marsh Ltd. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).

Date: 14 November 2014

From: Morris, Toby, 1980- :['The Pencilsword' cartoon strip, and other cartoons]

Reference: DCDL-0031455

Description: The third Pencilsword cartoon under the heading 'Like, Like, Like, What?' Begins with the cartoonist confessing that "I like likes", and noting that we put ourselves out there for public appraisal because likes and retweets are an ego boost, 'They're little ticks of peer approval that assure us we're okay.' He can get instant feedback on a drawing, but he suggests 'in the instant age, I think we're becoming conditioned to think in short term goals and projects.' A book and a poster get equals likes no matter the time spent on each, but a book will last forever. He notes that we give away likes easily and they mean more to the receiver. He concludes that 'We're trapped in a loop of short term hits that make us forget about the long term goals and big picture thinking' before asking 'does a lifetime of living in the moment amount to much?' Wider context is the social media process of 'liking', sharing, retweeting, favouriting etc to indicate a positive response to a post. Archived version available at: http://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/content-aggregator/getIEs?system=ilsdb&id=1648495 Viewable at: http://thewireless.co.nz/articles/the-pencilsword-like-like-like-what

Date: 28 August 2014

From: Morris, Toby, 1980- :['The Pencilsword' cartoon strip, and other cartoons]

By: Radio New Zealand. The Wireless

Reference: DCDL-0031452

Description: The first Pencilsword cartoon, under the heading 'The increasingly blurry line between my world and the world'. A 16 frame cartoon in which Morris reflects on social media and 'reality'. It begins with people pointing out that 'looking at social media, we see trends really clearly' such as everyone watching Game of Thrones, caring about the environment and not liking John Key. Morris then cautions against confusing 'the views of our friends and peers with the views of the actual real world'. Morris and his wife are shown surprised by the results of the 2011 General Election even though they 'made a lot of snarky Facebook posts'. He suggests that with social media we build our own world so it becomes a mirror reflecting 'our own personal perfect world back at us'. He notes that the internet is great for bringing together communities, but he's not so sure about 'real elections'. In the final six frames a man pushing 'equal rights for elven terrapin painters' is gradually engulfed by bad weather as people live in their own worlds 'preaching to the converted'. Other Titles - My world & the world Archived website available at: http://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/content-aggregator/getIEs?system=ilsdb&id=1648495 Viewable at: http://thewireless.co.nz/themes/election/preaching-to-the-converted

Date: 20 April 2019

From: Slane, Christopher, 1957-: Digital cartoons published in the Listener, New Zealand Herald, or New Zealand Farmers' Weekly

By: Listener (Periodical)

Reference: DCDL-0039203

Description: Digital cartoon by Chris Slane, depicting social ills such as hate, spite, islamaphobia, racism, fascism, bigotry, prejudice, mass murder, and violence, alongside a riverbed. As people work to cleanup the site, one of them says, "Apparently just burying it all out of sight doesn't make it go away". Title supplied by Library Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).

Date: 27 April 2019

From: Slane, Christopher, 1957-: Digital cartoons published in the Listener, New Zealand Herald, or New Zealand Farmers' Weekly

By: Listener (Periodical)

Reference: DCDL-0039001

Description: Digital cartoon by Chris Slane, showing a man wearing militia-style military gear, barging into a peaceful household where a group of friends are having a cup of tea, saying " Heeey! Did I just hear someone mention gun control? Let me regurgitate a bellyfull of bile and ingnorance all over you and your friends." Published on page 13, NZ Listener April 27-May 3 2019 Title supplied by Library Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).

Date: 1-3, 5-6, 8-10, 12, 14-17, 21-22, 24, 26, and 28-30 July 2021

From: Yeo, Shaun, 1974-: Digital cartoons

By: Yeo, Shaun, 1974-; Otago daily times (Newspaper)

Reference: DCDL-0042168

Description: Digital cartoons by Shaun Yeo on political and social issues in New Zealand and internationally. Published in the Otago Daily Times in May 2021. Cartoons depict: - an Oranga Tamariki figure labelled 'care' and 'protection' gripping a child in a stranglehold; - 'NZ's vaccine rollout' tortoise sleeping while Death says "By all means... take your time."; - a figure holding a 'Hate Speech Reforms' poster and giving a thumbs up, then the same figure with red tape across their mouth as the poster falls to the ground; - a painting of a train crashing over a cliff commissioned "for the National Party to commemorate Collins first year as leader"; - two figures discussing misinformation, one reads a newspaper, the second a Facebook post; - a 'Fiji' hand reaching out of 'COVID' water; - a horse laying a flower at a headstone labelled 'Forbury Park 1909-2021'; - ACT Party leader David Seymour doing a twerking dance move while wearing '12%' shorts next to National Party leader Judith Collins holding a '10%' piece of paper; - United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson holding a 'Freedom Day' plan and rolling a pair of dice while Death looks on; - an 'RSV [Respiratory syncytial virus]' snake coming through a cat flap towards a baby while two figures look out a window at 'COVID pandemic'; - a Mongrel Mob member carrying a basket of money labelled '$2.75m' away from the Beehive which has a washing machine in the side of the building; - three figures in hazmat suits and one in casual clothing, one of the hazmat figures says "...and can someone tell the new guy that we don't do casual Fridays."; - two figures hugging a large bag of money with a 'They Are Us' clapboard and script alongside the bag; - three figures crouched to start a running race looking across to a fourth figure in the race, Death; - a kiwi with it's neck stretched out across a stump labelled '$19b NZ's trade relationship with China' while a large panda looks down and holds an axe behind it's back; - a COVID-19 virus holding a remote control with pause selected and a 'Trans-Tasman bubble' nearby; - a child holding their stomach in hunger looking at an empty fridge labelled 'New Zealand produces enough food to feed 40 million people'; - two figures watching television and discussing the Olympics going ahead; - United States Olympic gymanst Simone Biles after completing a routine on a vault labelled 'Mental Health'; - and oil spilling from an 'INEOS' drum with a silver fern in the puddle, captioned 'Oil Blacks'. Title supplied by Library. Arrangement: Delivered to the Library in a digital folder titled ‘YEO CARTOONS JULY 2021’. Quantity: 20 digital cartoon(s).