New Zealand has some fine science and environment reporters reporting for print, television and radio. Based all over the country, from Auckland to Wellington to Christchurch, they help to ensure that New Zealanders are kept up to date with science and environment issues both here and abroad.
The Science Media Centre has rounded up some of the journalists regularly reporting on science-related issues in New Zealand, with details on where they are and their main focus areas; science and technology, environment, and health.
Science and technology
Jamie Morton
Science reporter, The New Zealand Herald
Location: New Plymouth
Jamie has been the Herald’s science reporter since 2012, covering research, medicine, technology, conservation, the environment and climate change. He writes regular stories for the Herald and NZME’s print and online platforms, along with feature articles and a Saturday science column in the Weekend Herald. He is interested to hear about new research from or directly relevant to our people and environment.
Contact: jamie.morton@nzherald.co.nz
Katie Kenny
National Correspondent, Stuff
Location: Based in Wellington, covering stories across the country
Katie reports on the trends and technologies changing the way we live and work. It’s a broad remit; from emerging technologies to artificial intelligence to social media. While she focuses on multimedia, digital storytelling, her work also appears in print, and she’s even produced a podcast.
Contact: katie.kenny@stuff.co.nz, 027 839 9858
Simon Morton
Continually curious storyteller for radio, web and TV.
Location: Wellington
Simon has reported on science, health and technology as the founder of the award-winning programme ‘This Way Up’ which ran on Radio New Zealand for 13 years. He’s presented 2 series of Forensics NZ, and is currently in pre-production for a brand new 6 part TV series. He regularly produces tech stories/features for the BBC World Service Click programme, and is always on the hunt for a cool story.
Contact: simonmortonnz@gmail.com, 027 224 5403, and @simonmorton. www.about.me/simonnz
Naomi Arnold
Freelance feature writer: New Zealand Geographic, VetScript, The Listener and others.
Location: Nelson
Naomi covers a wide range of science, environment and technology stories, particularly enjoying conservation, environment, robotics, and technology. She has been a health and environment reporter at the Nelson Mail, a contract science writer for the Cawthron Institute, and has won multiple awards for her work. She has been freelancing since 2014 and enjoys the flexibility to travel, incorporating science research with people, history and place. Her book on the history of New Zealand astronomy, Southern Nights, is forthcoming from HarperCollins in 2019. She is always happy to have a chat about research and help identify interesting story angles for the general public.
Contact: naomi.arnold@me.com, 027 245 5522, naomiarnold.co.nz, @NaomiArnold
Environment
Eloise Gibson
Climate editor, Stuff
Location: Auckland
Eloise has covered climate change, the environment and science for a number of years at various publications and now manages climate coverage for Stuff.co.nz. She’s interested in climate-related stories from around New Zealand. As well as daily news, she coordinates Stuff’s climate-themed magazine and video/podcast series.
Contact: eloise.gibson@stuff.co.nz @eloise_gibson
Farah Hancock
Reporter, Newsroom
Location: Auckland
Farah writes about conservation, education and technology for Newsroom’s website. Biodiversity, predator control, the Billion Trees project and genetics are topics of interest as well as technology including artificial intelligence, smart cities and autonomous vehicles.
Contact: farah.hancock@newsroom.com
Charlie Mitchell
National Correspondent, Stuff
Location: Christchurch
Charlie reports on environment and climate change as part of Stuff’s national correspondent team. He has an interest in anything related to climate change, water quality and conservation, among other environmental issues, and tends towards longer, interactive features.
Contact: charlie.mitchell@stuff.co.nz, 03 943 2824, 027 886 1309
Leith Huffadine
Digital Journalist, RNZ
Location: Auckland
Leith primarily writes stories for the RNZ website. He’s keen on finding ways to make stories about the environment interesting and understandable for everyone.
Contact: leith.huffadine@rnz.co.nz, 027 550 4073
Health
Michelle DuffNational Correspondent, Stuff
Michelle covers health and social issues for Stuff, with a special interest in inequality, maternal health, psychology, social justice and gender. Michelle has worked on staff for Stuff, the Sunday Star-Times, The Dominion Post and the Manawatū Standard. Her freelance work has been published by Vice, the Listener, the NZ Herald and North & South. She is an award-winning investigative feature writer, and has also carved out a distinctive voice as a columnist covering health, women’s rights and lifestyle. Her most recent interactive work focused on child abuse and neglect.
Contact: 021 257 4880Emma Russell
Health reporter, The New Zealand Herald
Location: Auckland
Emma has been covering health stories at the Herald for the past year. Her reporting interest ranges from groundbreaking studies to human interest stories of medical failings and successes. Her stories are published in print editions of NZ Herald, the Weekend Herald and Herald on Sunday, as well as online. Before working for the Herald, she was a reporter at the Whanganui Chronicle writing on a range of topics including health, business and general news.
Contact: emma.russell@nzme.co.nz, 027 551 5041, 09 373 6400 ext 39342
Location: Auckland
Hannah covers health stories for Stuff and the Sunday Star-Times, and is based in Auckland. She has an interest in anything relating to public health, women’s health (sexual and reproductive health), and health sciences. She loves to hear about cutting-edge medical technologies, quirky research projects and innovation in health in general.
Contact: hannah.martin@stuff.co.nz
Niki Bezzant Contact: niki@nikibezzant.com
Producers/Editors
Emile Donovan
Co-host of The Detail podcast for Newsroom.
Location: Auckland
Emile covers a wide range of science-related stories and is particularly interested in quirky, off-the-beaten track stories, and stories concerned with environmentalism and conservation. Also anything to do with dogs, sport, gastronomy, the periodic table, and critters. Despite dropping all sciences in fifth form he once got 31/32 in his year 10 biology exam.
Ali Ventura
Chase Producer, The Project
Location: Auckland
We cover the news of the day in exciting and fresh ways – we’re interested in almost all science stories but especially those that affect all New Zealanders, and anything that is oddball or amusing.
Contact: aliventura@mediaworks.co.nz; 09 928 9036 ext. 9036; 021 205 1501
Alison BallanceProducer/presenter, RNZ Our Changing World
Location: Wellington
Alison produces and presents RNZ’s weekly science and environment programme Our Changing World. Her focus is on New Zealand research, and she covers everything from conservation to ultra-cold physics. She travels around New Zealand to record sound-rich interactive radio interviews in labs and in the field. Her in-depth stories are between 10-25 minutes long. Alison also writes accompanying web features and takes photos to accompany them.
Contact: alison.ballance@radionz.co.nz, 027 704 5739