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 approached some of them, and asked them to share how and why they became science/environment reporters, why they love it, and their advice for inspiring journalists. Their answers, and more besides, are below, and we will add further profiles as they come in.
Eloise Gibson, Science Reporter for the New Zealand Herald
Why did you get into science journalism?
I’m a curious type and I love reading good science stories in the newspapers. I became the science reporter partly because it fitted well with my other round – covering the environment. It is impossible to write about environmental issues without covering the scientific research, so it made sense to extend that to cover other science developments as well.
Which are your favourite issues to cover?
I think for any science journalist climate change is both the single most interesting topic and the single most difficult to cover. I also love the smaller quirky stories – findings of ancient creatures or odd plants.
What challenges are there to being a science reporter in New Zealand?
I think science journalists face the same issues as all journalists, including that there is never enough time to do their jobs. Explaining complex science is particularly challenging when you are on a tight deadline.
What have you enjoyed most in your time reporting science?
My favourite thing about my job is when I get talking to scientist who is passionate about their particular niche, whether it be an obscure creature or a tiny slice of the solar system. It never ceases to amaze me that there are entire teams of people dedicated to finding out about things that most people don’t know exist. I’ve found scientists are generally very patient about explaining their work to me, and there are some great characters out there working at CRIs and universities.
What would you say to aspiring science reporters?
Goffurrit.
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David Williams, Environment Reporter for The Press
Why did you get into environment journalism?
To save the world, of course.
Which are your favourite issues to cover?
Climate change and conservation.
What challenges are there to being a environment reporter in New Zealand?
Many and varied. For those of us without academic science training the biggest challenge is the translation of jargon-filled reports into easy-to-understand language. More generally, condensing large reports into a few hundred words. It all comes with the territory, really.
What have you enjoyed most in your time reporting environmental stories?
Getting out and about. Cleaning up rivers and seeing conservation work first hand.
What would you say to aspiring environment reporters?
Set a goal and work towards it. Mine is to have one story appear in National Geographic.
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Samantha Hayes, Environment Reporter for TV3 
Why did you get into environment journalism?
After a few years in the studio at TV3 I decided it was time to get out and about reporting again. I grew up traipsing around in New Zealand’s wilderness and what better way to spend the working day than filming stories about our native species or research related to sustaining that beautiful environment.
Which are your favourite issues to cover?
Anything to do with our national parks, native birds and plants and endangered species. New Zealand research, especially related to bio fuels and ways we can make our communities more sustainable. Climate change, whaling, conservation, fisheries and waste reduction.
What challenges are there to being a environment reporter in New Zealand?
A lot of research papers are written overseas so it’s tricky finding people to interview on camera, that’s where SMC can be a great help!
What have you enjoyed most in your time reporting environmental stories?
The most rewarding part is meeting people who are extremely passionate about their slice of the world, people who have spent decades researching penguins or seals. I’m have a feeling one day I’ll interview someone and suddenly realise they have my dream job and I’ll never make it back to the newsroom…
What would you say to aspiring environment reporters?
Listen to every point of view, it’ll keep your stories honest and balanced.
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Will Hine, Science Reporter for Radio New Zealand
Why did you get into science journalism?
My father worked for NIWA for many years as a marine pathologist and I think my interest grew out of that.
Which are your favourite issues to cover?
I find earth sciences extremely interesting. I also like how science and technology can be used create innovative, world leading products.
What challenges are there to being a science reporter in New Zealand?
I think many science reporters, like me, need to juggle science with other reporting duties. That can be a challenge. There’s also the constant challenge of making complex information understandable to the audience, while staying true to the science.
What have you enjoyed most in your time reporting science?
I found the opening of the Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre in Palmerston North very interesting.
What would you say to aspiring science reporters?
It pays to repeat back to scientists your understanding of what they’re saying so they’ve got the opportunity to tweak any points you might have got wrong.
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Kiran Chug, Environment Reporter for the Dominion Post
Why did you get into environment journalism?
Stories about the environment are really important. They’re not just there to be read by “greenies”, but they affect every single one of us. Around the world, media coverage of environment stories is increasing, but I still think they could get more exposure in New Zealand. I’ve been covering this round since joining the Dominion Post in October 2009 – also because it is an exciting area to be reporting on, where there is always lots happening.
Which are your favourite issues to cover?
I really enjoy covering issues which make people confront their values and think about the environment around them. Sometimes, this can be reporting on a local conservation project which inspires other people to set up similar ventures. Or, it can be reporting on the tension between protecting the environment and making money from the land. Mining on the conservation estate for example is a fascinating issue to cover, and the fact that it provokes strong opinions from people makes it more enjoyable to report on.
What challenges are there to being a environment reporter in New Zealand?
Like all reporters, you fight for space to get stories out there in a tough news environment. This can mean lots of phone interview to turn stories around fast, instead of getting out and meeting people who are at the heart of the issue. There is also no shortage of environment stories, and covering everything you want can be a challenge.
What have you enjoyed most in your time reporting environmental stories?
In March 2010, I went to the Chatham Islands and the short trip was definitely the highlight of covering the environment round so far. While there, I met people who had been involved in conservation projects which had produced astounding results. Spending time talking to them about the work they were dedicated to and passionate about was amazing. Getting the opportunity to see some of the endemic species I was writing about was also pretty special.
What would you say to aspiring environment reporters?
Go for it. It’s a brilliant topic to cover, which often generates debate and always gets people thinking even if they’re not talking. Look for stories which will affect people, or which are about real people doing interesting things. Enjoy it.
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Sarah Barnett, writer for the New Zealand Listener
Why did you get into science journalism?
At least partly by accident – I wrote a big story on climate change about five years ago, thinking I was pretty well-versed on the subject and instead discovered that climate scientists could scare the bejeesus out of me… After that, I kept covering environmental stuff, which naturally led to other science writing. I don’t have a science background beyond being interested in it even before I began reporting.
Which are your favourite issues to cover?
I don’t really have a favourite – I’ve been surprisingly engaged by so many things that I thought I wouldn’t find that interesting that I can’t really narrow one down. Having said that, my main beat is the environment, and it’s something I feel is important in my personal life as well as my work life.
What challenges are there to being a science reporter in New Zealand?
To be honest I don’t really feel like I’ve struck any, certainly not in terms of access to subjects – scientists in NZ are, by and large, accessible and good value – I think the biggest challenge, especially as someone who doesn’t have a science background, is in the art of communicating that science in a way that makes it readable but that is still true and authoritative. There are lots of little pitfalls in that, for instance learning all those word that means different things to scientists and laypeople. “Theory” springs to mind…
What have you enjoyed most in your time reporting science?
Talking to scientists. The New York Times website team recently did an analysis of their most-read and most-emailed articles, and the most popular – by a long way – were science stories, particularly the ones that readers felt shifted their world view a bit. As the NYT report said, it was those stories that evoked a sense of awe about the world around you. That’s the best thing about writing about science – hearing it from the horse’s mouth.
What would you say to aspiring science reporters?
Even though I don’t have a science qualification, I feel that it must be an advantage, but otherwise the same thing you’d say to any aspiring journalist – read widely and greedily, and not only in your own field. If you’re genuinely interested in what you’re reporting, that’s magic. And a good grounding in statistics can’t hurt!
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Alison Ballance, co-producer and co-presenter ‘Our Changing World’, Radio New Zealand National
Why did you get into science journalism/show production?
I’m a story teller, with a particular passion for telling stories about the natural world and about science. I have an MSc in zoology, and joined Our Changing World in October 2008, after 18 years producing and directing wildlife documentaries with television production company NHNZ in Dunedin. I’ve also written a number of books. I’m enjoying the simplicity, immediacy and intelligence of radio as a medium for story-telling, and I really appreciate that it allows scientists to talk about their research in their own words, which means there is no risk of the truth getting lost in a poor translation. As well, I like it that our stories are 12-minutes long, so we have a good amount of time to climb into a subject and talk about it in some detail.
Which are your favourite issues to cover?
Our Changing World is a one-hour weekly radio show that I co-present and co-produce with Ruth Beran and Veronika Meduna. Each week we present four stories that cover science, the environment and health research, with a strong emphasis on New Zealand research and researchers. I tend to focus on environment stories, and most enjoy getting out in the field with people recording sound-rich pieces that give a real sense of place.
What challenges are there to being a science reporter/science producer in New Zealand?
Finding interesting ways of telling compelling stories about complex science, and finding a point of difference from other parts of Radio New Zealand that are increasingly realising that science is a rich source of interesting stories! But that challenge also shows how much has changed, from the days when no one covered science stories to today, when increasing numbers of people realise how much science impacts on our life and how important it is to understand it.
What have you enjoyed most in your time reporting science/producing science shows?
I love getting out to remote places, such as the subantarctic islands, Fiordland and the Chathams, and being able to spend time with experts in the field, sharing their enthusiasm and knowledge with everyone else.
What would you say to aspiring science reporters?
A science degree is a good start, but better than that is an open mind, curiosity, a willingness to read and learn. Enthusiasm and self-motivation will get you a long way.
