The Herald takes you inside the newsroom to meet some of our team. Photo / Greg Bowker
The Herald takes you inside the newsroom to meet some of our team. Photo / Greg Bowker
Ever wondered where a journalist's insatiable curiosity comes from? What drives them to do what they do, day in day out?
Sharing answers to these and more questions about the craft of journalism motivated the team at the New Zealand Herald to produce "Behind the Headlines" – a candid insight into the daily lives of some of New Zealand's top storytellers.
"Journos are very used to reporting on others, they're often not so good at opening up about why they do what they do, and how they do it," said New Zealand Herald premium content editor Miriyana Alexander.
The campaign features a series of videos where NZME journalists talk about their area of expertise – including one where award-winning editorial cartoonist Rod Emmerson draws them in caricature.
This is the second instalment of New Zealand Herald's "Behind the Headlines". The first series launched last November.
"Even people in our newsrooms are learning things about the people they work with. In the first series, watching as Audrey Young, one of New Zealand's most highly regarded political journalists, describes why all MPs start out with her total respect is fascinating and insightful," said Alexander.
"When senior police reporter Anna Leask talks about the challenges of the grey areas in covering crime – especially when she's trying to get to the bottom of why an offender did what they did, we get a better understanding of the complexities of crime reporting."
The latest series of Behind the Headlines at nzherald.co.nz features insights from Alexander, Leask, head of premium business content Duncan Bridgeman, investigative reporters Carolyne Meng-Yee and Jared Savage, business editor at large Liam Dann, visual journalist Mike Scott and multimedia journalist Frances Cook.
The first series featured Emmerson (who drew himself), Young, sports editor at large Dylan Cleaver, senior writer Simon Wilson and editorial director for business Fran O'Sullivan.
The journalists are part of NZME's 330-strong editorial team operating in newsrooms across the country to bring Kiwis the stories that matter.
"Being a part of this series really reminded me how incredible the work our journalists – and those the world over – do day in, day out," Alexander said.
Miriyana Alexander. Illustration / Rod Emmerson
"We're living in times of incredible change, facing complex and confronting challenges, so it's never been more vital that we tell the stories that matter. It's not enough, though, to simply report the news – we need to explain what happened and why it matters. That helps people understand the world we live in – and our place in it."
Journalism is about trust – you need to be able to build trust with your contacts ... it's people that might be sharing with you information that they could otherwise get in trouble for or make them feel scared for their life. You've got to build that trust to show that you will do what you say you will do, in order to protect them but also get information that should be out in the public. It's also about building rapport with our readers and proving that we are worth trusting in.
Mike Scott - visual journalist
Mike Scott. Illustration / Rod Emmerson
The reason why I do what I do is to make a difference. The reason why I do video and photography is to capture the emotion behind the words. Now more than ever, it's incredibly important to tell the truth, it's the emotion in the person you're interviewing, that's where the real story is and where the real truth is.
Liam Dann - business editor at large
Liam Dann. Illustration / Rod Emmerson
People look at economics and finance and think it looks hard. But you've probably got something in your life that you're interested in that's every bit as complex. Throwing numbers at a page isn't a way to get people to read the story. My job is to Look for the story in the numbers and make it relatable to a person, to make it real to them.
Journalism is the only avenue where you can comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable. It's where you can affect change, challenge what's wrong and do what's right. What we do as journalists is incredibly important; we have a responsibility to report the facts, share the stories that matter, and keep people in the know with what's happening here and around the world.
Frances Cook - multimedia journalist
When you're the host of a podcast, you're asking to renew that relationship, every single time someone hits download. Every episode has to earn its place with the audience, and that forces you to deliver quality content, to really think about your audience. There's no space for being slack because there's constantly someone on your heels and it forces you to be your best.
Duncan Bridgeman - head of premium business content
Duncan Bridgeman. Illustration / Rod Emmerson
Business is a really exciting area to be in and every story has a business angle to it. When I look at the team I work with, how professional and great they are, coming up with fantastic ideas and delivering remarkable stories, it makes me proud to be leading a team that is genuinely focused on producing quality journalism. The Herald business team is across more business stories than anyone else in the country – covering the big stories of the day, exclusive scoops and breaking news.
If reporting on the black and white was all I had to do, it'd be an easier job. It's that constant delving into the grey area with the victims, the offenders, everyone that's affected – that's what fascinates me. When a crime happens, you want to know everything. Why they do it, their motivation and the consequences. My duty is to inform and to present the facts.
