Jill Herron with Bella the dog
1 November 2022
Jill Herron / Local Government Reporter
Local Government Reporter, The Central App and Newsroom. Funded in the 2nd round of the PIJF.
What’s great about being a local government reporter?
Knowing that you are filling a gap in coverage is a good motivator and source of satisfaction. I’m often the only media present at council meetings or the only one following up on local issues, writing for The Central App. People seem grateful to read simple, straight-up news.
The variation in topics is great, covering a large, fairly rural area – a new playground one day, a $4B hydro-scheme the next.
Tell us what a good day looks like in your job….
A good day is heading out into the big sky country of the Maniototo to interview an artist, a rabbit shooter or some farmers. Real people just doing their thing. Then the challenge of reflecting their story through words and images that might inspire others.
What’s the piece of work you are most proud of?
The piece of work I’m most proud of is probably a feature I wrote for Newsroom about the government’s proposal to dam Lake Onslow near Roxburgh. Melanie Reid and I stayed the night up the mountain in a hut and really got a feel for what is an isolated and beautiful place. The story was very well read even though the proposal had been written about quite a lot before.
Hut at Lake Onslow. Photo credit: Jill Herron