So it feels like the right time to throw some shout-outs to some more of our favourite journos working in the NZ news media scene. There are dozens and dozens of truly great reporters, editors, producers, camera-people and subs out there, and these eight great journos are just the tip of the iceberg, but it's a start.
Claire Eastham-Farrelly/Rebekah Parsons-King, RNZ visual journalists: Getting journalists whose sole job is to provide visual content is a relatively new move for public radio, but both Eastham-Farrelly and Parsons-King have been producing great photos and videos for the RNZ website, most notably on the recent excellent 9th Floor series. There are a lot of great visual journos out there, especially on the local papers, but these guys get special mention here because they have to put up with endless goddamn dad jokes about taking photos for a radio station.
Nicola Kean, The Nation producer: One of those news journos who seems to be at the centre of the media universe, (she knows everybody), Kean has also been one of the main driving forces behind the success of The Nation on TV3 in recent years. She's a top producer and a sharp reporter, with a keen eye for some of the absurdities of modern politics. There aren't enough meaty politics shows like The Nation on TV at the moment, especially in an election year, but at least this one has some of the best talent behind the camera.
Anna Leask, NZ Herald reporter: Leask's police copy for the country's biggest paper has been sharp as fuck for years now, with a no-bullshit style that doesn't mess about, whether it's covering the day-to-day drudgery of urban crime, or bigger features on moments of great injustice. She's breaking out of the demands of daily print journalism with a new book this year, looking at life inside the NZ prison system, which will no doubt feature more of those disturbing truths, told with the same straight talk.
Charlie Mitchell, Fairfax environment reporter: The best reporters don't let go when they get stuck into a meaty subject, and Mitchell has proven the worth of this with a brilliant series of articles looking at the issue of water quality in New Zealand's rivers, streams and lakes. The appalling drop in this quality is a goddamn national disgrace, and Mitchell isn't going to let anybody forget it. This is especially important when everybody involved is too busy trying to shift the blame to do anything about it, so expect plenty more stories about the whole mess to come.
Michael Morrah, Newshub reporter: Like Mitchell, Morrah doesn't let go of a story once the first headlines have faded, and his ongoing work on issues related to fishing in New Zealand waters has been an exemplary example of that. It can be difficult to fit exclusive stories into the hard format of a TV news bulletin, but Morrah continues to find new stories and angles that no other journalist in the country has even thought of. Along with TVNZ's Barbara Dreaver, his continuing coverage of Pacific affairs stories is a vital part of the journalism scene in this part of the world.
Toby Morris, freelance cartoonist: Morris' work shows up all over the place - his distinctively clean and clear art line is always recognisable, whether he's putting out a book about Dad-life, doing an insightful and clever graphic review of a book about Trump for the Spinoff, or his ongoing Toby and Toby excellence for RNZ. But his Pencilsword cartoons for The Wireless are another level of brilliance, often bristling with anger at social injustices, and giving the voiceless a platform to explain their circumstances. Painfully raw and blatantly emotional, the Pencilsword is as indispensable as it can be rage-inducing.
Siena Yates, Herald entertainment reporter: Being an entertainment journalist is a lot harder than just heading along to free gigs and movies, and requires long hours and a tough work ethic. Yates is a member of the generally excellent entertainment crew at the NZ Herald, and offers a strong new perspective on the entertainment world. Her recent writing on the suicide issues raised by the Netflix show 13 Reasons Why was the best in the country.
- Steve Lombard/ Katherine Grant
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