Queen's medal leaves journalist lost for words

PHOTO/ANDREW WARNER

Never in her wildest imaginings did journalist Jill Nicholas visualise her name on an honours list.

That it is on today's both embarrasses and flatters her.

The former Rotorua Daily Post chief reporter and deputy editor, whose journalistic career spans 55 years, has been awarded a QSM for services to journalism and the community.

"For someone whose profession is words I'm finding it extremely difficult to express my reaction other than I'm extremely flattered people have been kind enough to nominate me.

"I am also embarrassed because it's a long-standing joke of mine that were I ever to receive an honour it would be for services to the honours list. This is based on the number of interviews I've conducted with people who have been honoured, making it a special privilege to find myself so unexpectedly included in their ranks," she said.

She paid tribute to other Rotorua recipients.

"As the compiler of the Rotorua Daily Post's Our People series I'm continually amazed by the number of locals who've achieved so much and dedicated themselves to the community in such a wide variety of ways so it's particularly satisfying to see two featuring today - retired Maori Land Court judge Heta Hingston and Coffin Club founder Katie Williams."

The remaining two, Maori Law Society founding president John Chadwick and Scout leader Jeff Percival, a recent Rotorua arrival, are already earmarked as "dead certs" for the coming year, she promised.

Mrs Nicholas is conscious there will be those who consider journalism and the community an "unholy alliance".

However, she believes it's essential that journalists who, by the nature of their work take so much from the community, actively redress the balance.

"Ours is a job which calls for a need to be aware not only of what's going on in the community, but for journalists to play an active part in that community," she said.

"I do hope in some way this [her inclusion in the honours list] goes towards shattering the perception that all journalists are self-serving pariahs; rather, that we have been able to connect with the community beyond the newsroom to effectively use our knowledge and skills our job's given us to benefit others," she said.

Mrs Nicholas has a long involvement with a number of Rotorua organisations, trusts and charities, is a past president of Zonta Rotorua, a ministerial appointee to the Benefit Review Panel and was one of three community representatives selected to serve on this year's Rotorua Lakes Council's Representation Review Working Party - Your Choice.