Former NZ Herald political editor Claire Trevett has joined the public service in a new senior role. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Former NZ Herald political editor Claire Trevett has joined the public service in a new senior role. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers has moved quickly on a promise to overhaul police communications with the media and, therefore, the public.
Former NZ Herald political editor Claire Trevett has moved from the hurly-burly of politics to police.
Trevett starts today in the newly created role of chief media and communicationsadviser, in what is expected to be an overhaul of how police interact with the media.
It is a significant new appointment for Police Commissioner Richard Chambers, who has made no secret of his desire to ensure public communications are top-notch.
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers under the watchful eye of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in February. Photo / Dean Purcell
Trevett left the Herald last month, after taking voluntary redundancy. She was farewelled at a function at Parliament in which Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Labour leader Chris Hipkins paid tribute to her qualities as a political journalist. Police Minister Mark Mitchell also spoke.
Trevett is expected to lead a review of police media relations and rebuild a sometimes historically patchy and testy relationship, both on the frontline and at senior level.
Former TVNZ journalist Nicole Bremner announced last week that she was also joining the police, as a senior media advisor.
Having two experienced, recent journalists join the police will give hope to reporters that some of the public relations brick walls of recent years will be demolished.
“I can tell you the [stories] that most affected me most,” she said.
“The hardest on the heart was the mosque attacks. I remember looking over at one of my colleagues during Jacinda Ardern‘s press conference in the Beehive Theatrette and he had tears running down his cheeks.
“Journalists are used to distancing themselves from a story they’re covering. And I managed to do that during the working day over that initial week, but I’d go home at night and watch the coverage on the BBC or CNN and it seemed so surreal and raw that I’d bawl my eyes out.
“The hardest on the stamina and sanity was Covid-19. It really sucked the joy of the job out of me, to be honest, and I never fully regained it. It was just unrelenting and the division and anger that built up really worried me. You could see it happening, I guess the culmination was in those protests outside Parliament.
“It still worries me now, because that division and anger have a very long tail and hit trust and confidence in both politicians and the media.”
Chambers was announced in November as the country’s new police commissioner, replacing Andrew Coster.
“It is good to be home,” Chambers said at a press conference announcing his appointment. “To lead the organisation that I’ve been a part of for nearly 30 years is one of the highlights of my life.”
Among his priorities, he said, was to improve the public’s trust and confidence in the police.
Part of that will undoubtedly be through strong media relations.
“We must remain focused on doing the basics well,” said Chambers.
“My expectation ... is that my leaders are visible, connected to the front line, and accountable. That’s what leadership does.”
Chambers has had a personal connection with the media since 2000, after meeting then Sunday Star-Times reporter Kim Purdy. The couple have since married and have two daughters.
Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.
