Fifa claims media star Hilary Barry is not a ‘bona fide’ member of the media

Hilary Barry received an email from Fifa stating she is not a 'bona fide member of the media'. Photo / Instagram @hilarybarry

Hilary Barry received a confusing email this morning after Fifa insinuated she is not a real journalist.

Taking to Twitter, the Seven Sharp presenter shared a screenshot of an email she received from Fifa in which it stated she is not a “bona fide member of the media”.

Writing “lol” alongside a screenshot, the email reads “Following a review of your registration, we regret that we will not be able to grant you access to the FIFA Media Channel.

“The information on your registration form is incomplete or fails to meet our requirements for confirming that you are a bona fide member of the media.

“Access to the FIFA Media Hub is open to professional journalists, news photographers and broadcast reporters working for news organisations.”

Lol pic.twitter.com/fFpdn3BKx7

— Hilary Barry (@Hilary_Barry) May 18, 2023

She added in the comment section that the request was to film a three-minute pre-recorded segment in the fan zone and not a request to film a game.

Many fans of Barry expressed their shock with one person replying, “Fifa should know better. I wouldn’t go now.”

Another wrote, “don’t they know who you are? Someone is going to feel a little silly when they find out what they could have easily checked with a quick search.” While a third wrote, “oh boy. That organisation is a shambles from top to bottom.”

Barry is a popular Kiwi journalist and media personality who hosts TVNZ’s current affairs show Seven Sharp alongside Jeremy Wells.

Seven Sharp hosts Hilary Barry and Jeremy Wells. Photo / TVNZ

Her extensive media career began in radio when she worked as a reporter for radio 89.3 Today FM (Wairarapa, now More FM Wairarapa) before moving to RNZ. She also worked at More FM and Radio Live before moving into television.

After landing a role as a news reporter for TV3 in the early 90s, Barry became a familiar face with Kiwis as a weekend newsreader for 3News before moving on to the weeknight 6pm news slot alongside Mike McRoberts.

Her decades-long career has also included a stint on the Paul Henry Show, Breakfast and now Seven Sharp.

Barry is no doubt a Kiwi media icon and has won a slew of awards including the Best News or Current Affair Presenter award at the 2011 Aotearoa Film and Television Awards, TV Guide’s Best on The Box award for Best Presenter four years in a row between 2012 and 2015, and most recently she won the Favourite TV Personality award at the 2020 New Zealand Television Awards.