As the Māori year draws near to a close, Wellington hosted the Science Journalism Awards, presented by the Science Media Centre.
Te Ao Māori News journalist, Natasha Hill, won big, receiving the Emerging Science Journalist Award for her kaupapa on the Wairewa Rūnanga, which explored how knowledge gathered in Japan was helping combat the critical decline of taonga species in their lake.
“I’m incredibly grateful and honoured to receive the Emerging Journalist Award, especially given the strength and quality of the finalist entries,” Hill told Te Ao Māori News.
“This award recognises the important mahi being undertaken by our communities, iwi and hapū to protect, preserve and promote their own mātauranga Māori and cultural practices.”
In a statement, the judges said the story was “told incredibly well in words, images and video,” and they praised the interweaving of te reo Māori interviews, and said that they were “engaged from beginning to end”.
The award-winning kaupapa was produced alongside Te Rina Kowhai, with camera work done by Dougal Laing.
“I’m proud to have played a part in telling this story and deeply thankful to the iwi who trusted us to share their experiences through an Indigenous lens. Their willingness to speak with us made this reporting possible, and I hope the story reflects the significance of their mahi and aspirations,” said Hill.
The only other award of the night went to RNZ reporter Farah Hancock for the Established Science Journalist Award for her In Depth article on feral cats.
Read and watch Natasha Hill’s winning story here.
