Vaimoana Mase is the Pasifika editor for New Zealand's Herald Talanoa section and is dedicated to sharing the stories and voices of our Pacific communities.

Talofa lava, my name is Vaimoana Mase (nee Tapāleao). I’ve been a journalist at the NZ Herald since 2008 and am now the Pasifika editor for the Herald website’s Talanoa section; dedicated to sharing the stories and voices of our Pacific communities. Growing up, I loved to read. That passion for reading soon turned into a passion for writing and storytelling. I was a teenager when the horrifying events of September 11 happened in 2001 and impacted the world. It turned into a pivotal moment in my life too. For weeks, I watched and read all the stories of horror, grief, terror and even hate. But I also read the stories of heroism, bravery, faith and forgiveness. I realised those stories were now a part of our history and I wanted to share such stories too. Some of the most memorable stories I’ve helped to cover include the Mangatepopo canyoning tragedy in 2008, the Samoan tsunami in 2009, the Christchurch earthquake in 2011 and a humbling experience in Vanuatu, in 2019, at the opening of a new eye clinic in Port Vila. Stories like those remind you of the importance of being able to share someone’s lived experience and sometimes require you to put down the pen and, instead, hold someone’s hand. Random fact: I hold two Samoan matai titles, Timuiaipaepaetele and Lealaiauloto, from the villages of Toamua and Lelepa.