Raphael Franks is a Multimedia Journalist for the New Zealand Herald, focusing on breaking news, crime, transport and human interest stories.
Raphael hails from Christchurch but made Auckland his home in 2022. While attending Christchurch Boys’ High School from 2014 to 2018, he worked in Coca-Cola Amatil’s bottling plant; and while studying geography at the University of Canterbury, he worked in retail. Marking a total reversal in career ambitions, Raphael was offered the opportunity to join the Te Rito Journalism Cadetship programme in 2022, funded through the Public Interest Journalism Fund. Through this, he got experience working in some of the country’s largest newsrooms and some of the country’s smallest. He began working for the Herald in the same year. During this time, Raphael has covered the Auckland Anniversary Floods, Cyclone Gabrielle, two different shootings on Queen St and another on Ponsonby Rd, the closure of Newshub, the slimming down of TVNZ, and other major news events of the day. You can contact Mr Franks on 027 436 5668 or at raphael.franks@nzme.co.nz.
'Lost something we weren't willing to give up': Rider killed in triple fatal crash a mum of three
Lesley Brooks, 46, was a member of the Road Pirates MC. Cause of crash remains in doubt.
Pilot who stole chopper in fatal Cairns crash had NZ licence
The incident happened at the DoubleTree by Hilton about 2am Monday.
Police shot at in Palmerston North: Cops seize loaded guns, put three young men before court
Police in Highbury tried pulling over car, but occupants allegedly shot at cop, sped away.
Police seek information from public on statue's missing phallus
A vandal cut a phallus off a 6m steel statue in Manawatū, upsetting the local iwi.
Brothers killed in crash leave behind five young children, pregnant partners
Police attended the crash at the intersection of Mchardies Rd, SH3 about 4.25pm on Sunday.