Natalie Akoorie is a senior reporter based in Waikato reporting crime and justice issues nationally.
Natalie first joined the Herald in 2011 and has been a journalist in New Zealand and overseas for 28 years, more recently covering health, social issues, local government, and the regions. She began her career at the Waitomo News in 1995 having graduated from a two-year Diploma of Media Arts at the former Waikato Polytechnic. In 1999 she moved to London and worked as chief reporter and deputy news editor at the Hounslow Chronicle and its stable of newspapers, covering the police beat and council. She also freelanced at the Guardian and for a national educational magazine in Cambridge. Natalie has also worked at a business travel magazine in Sydney, the Rodney Times, Whakatāne Beacon, Sunday News, and Waikato Times where she was deputy chief reporter before joining the Herald as a regional reporter in Hamilton in 2011. After a stint as Local Democracy Reporting editor at RNZ in 2021, Natalie returned to the Herald as Open Justice deputy editor in 2022. She has been nominated for several national media awards over the years including Newspaper Story of the Year in 2010 and Reporter of the Year in 2018, and she won a Regional Journalism Scholarship in 2020. In 2023 Natalie was named Runner-Up Regional Journalist of the Year. Natalie has covered a wide range of rounds throughout her 28-year career and has a special interest in the regions, women's health, disability rights, social issues, and in seeking answers for patients in a failing health system. You can contact Natalie at natalie.akoorie@nzme.co.nz.
Swept away by the current: Teen who drowned in river was a poor swimmer
Valentino Laki was with friends and family when he got into difficulty in 2018.
'I feel like I'm really going to kill you': Man told girlfriend locked in house
Sean Wilson savagely attacked his partner, beating and kicking her in the head and face.
'I could just see her blood pressure drop': Son's final moments with dying mum
Now, 13 years on, a coroner will decide how Carmen Walker died during a medical procedure.
'Silo' effect meant doctors failed to detect cause of Carmen Walker's death
Pathologist claims Carmen Walker's death at Waikato Hospital 13 years ago was iatrogenic.
Surgeon burned his note of medical procedure that killed patient
Surgeon in charge of Carmen Walker's procedure grilled over volume of fluid in bucket.
Hospital disposed of potential evidence in patient death case
Blood drained during the procedure was thrown away with other disposable waste.
'Dad never got over Mum's death': Carmen Walker inquest begins
Carmen Walker died during a procedure to treat melanoma.
'Tears on his cheeks': Cause of patient death still haunts family, doctor
The doctor who blew the whistle on a hospital death claims the case was covered up.
Ski field operator pleads guilty to fatal mountain bus crash
Auckland schoolgirl Hannah Francis died after an RAL-operated bus crashed near Tūroa.
Abuse in care: Apology from ex head of MSD to survivors
A senior public servant has apologised for the way victims of state abuse were treated.