Seven stories that illustrate why journalism matters

Wednesday, 1 May 2019

How Kiwi nurse Louisa Akavi was held captive by Islamic State since 2013 and why New Zealanders didn’t learn of her plight sooner.

To mark World News Day, Stuff reflects on seven major stories this year that underscore the power of journalism and its value to the public.

UNDERSTANDING TRAGEDY

Lethal terror visited New Zealand on March 15, when 50 people were shot dead at two Christchurch mosques. This represented a news event unprecedented in our country's history.

There have been mass casualty events similar or even worse in scale - 51 died in the Wahine disaster, 185 in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake - but nothing like the terror attack for the many and varied questions it raised. The news media had the task of bringing some clarity out of the haze.

Our reporting on the 50 victims of the Christchurch mosque shootings detailed the vast scale of the impact for those who lost loved ones.

Stuff's reporting has, through a number of stories, addressed the communities of hatred online, issues with social media platforms and gun laws.

From within the first hours of the shooting, however, our focus was on honouring the innocent victims. Within two days, the names of all 50 victims had been published in a special feature that also recounted exactly what had happened.

A month later, our reporting went further, detailing the vast scale of loss in another special feature 'Brokenhearted, not broken'.

Extensive reporting detailed how Kiwi nurse Louisa Akavi is believed to have been moved around as a hostage of the Islamic State.

READ MORE: Editorial: We need the news

DETAILED REPORTING

On the same day that we marked one month since the mosque shootings, another major story broke. New Zealand and Red Cross nurse Louisa Akavi had been a secret hostage of Islamic State since being kidnapped at gunpoint in October 2013.

Stuff political editor Tracy Watkins had worked on the story since 2014, but publication was delayed out of concern for Akavi's safety. When the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) decided to go public with an appeal for help in finally tracking her down, we were finally able to report in extensive detail on everything that had happened over more than five years. That included more than a dozen stories from different angles within the first few hours of Akavi's case becoming public.

PERSISTENT INVESTIGATION

The #MeToo movement has driven social change around the world. While activists have been the fuel, media organisations have been the vehicle to empower the victims of sexual harassment and abuse.

Stuff is the only New Zealand media organisation that has pursued an ongoing #MeTooNZ investigation.

In March, we marked the first anniversary of the project in a five-part special feature that gave a voice to more victims and outlined the key themes in our reporting.

Senior health officials and the College of Midwives aligned to try and discredit independent research that raised important questions about New Zealand's model of maternity care.

OUR MOST URGENT PROBLEMS

The ongoing effects of concussion cost Peter Rikiriki his job and family. He suffered too many hits to the head while playing amateur rugby league. Now he's speaking out, warning others to take concussion seriously.

Stuff has also embarked on a long-term project placing climate change at the top of our news agenda. We accept the overwhelming scientific consensus that climate change is real and caused by human activity. And we believe we must act quickly to address it.

One of the many stories we've published in 'Quick! Save the planet' examined in detail how the Coromandel Peninsula is threatened. It was deliberately published on January 5, just as holiday-makers filled baches in the area. We are specifically aiming to disturb complacency and make the issue tangible to people.

PRESSING FOR TRUTH

Some of journalism's most-celebrated achievements have been the result of one or two reporters persistently tugging at a thread until a hidden truth unravels. Our team of National Correspondents are in the business of doing this ever day.

In February, we published a feature by Michelle Duff that was the result of such persistence. Her complex story, with multiple characters and deep reporting, laid out how health officials and the College of Midwives had worked to undermine a maternity study.

When Stuff reported on a conflict of interest Shane Jones had himself declared, the Regional Development Minister chose to attack our journalist.

THE HIDDEN DANGERS

As the business model supporting journalism has been squeezed, concern has increased about the news media's ability to find and report on the less obvious problems in society.

The spotlight has already been put on the dangerous extent of concussion in rugby union.

But this year, Carmen Parahi reported on the alarming and unresolved problem with concussion in grassroots rugby league.

TRANSPARENCY IN POLITICS

Perhaps the media's most fundamental task is holding the powerful to account. The celebrated Washington Post slogan 'Democracy dies in darkness' could be the lodestar for any serious news media organisation.

This year, Stuff has broken two stories exposing conflicts of interest in central and local government.

Shane Jones' conflict of interest in a Northland cultural centre was revealed in March. Two days later, Stuff also revealed Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel's conflict of interest over her husband's lobbying for a water bottling scheme.

In Jones' case, the politician chose to attack the messenger, describing business reporter Hamish Rutherford as a 'bunny boiler'. More questions about Jones' conflicts have since emerged.

Dalziel, on the other hand, admitted she had failed to disclose her conflict and recused herself from decisions relating to the company her husband had offered to lobby for.

* The second World News Day is observed around the world on May 2. It aims to create public awareness about the value of fact-based journalism in our society. For more on this global initiative visit worldnewsday.org, follow @WND2019 on Twitter, @WorldNewsDay2019 on Facebook and #NewsMatters #WorldNewsDay.