Emma Russell
Multimedia Journalist

Emma Russell, Multimedia Journalist at New Zealand's Herald, uncovers health investigations and writes daily news following the country's biggest health system shake up and continued repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kia ora, I'm Emma. I'm really proud of two major investigations I've uncovered since starting at the New Zealand Herald in 2018. The first exposed inequalities in cancer care in a 2019 investigation called ‘Cancer: Why can’t we get it right?’. The second was a 2022 campaign called ‘In her Head’, which uncovered serious issues with how women are treated in New Zealand’s health system, and the severe neglect that some wāhine had faced. I also write daily news including following the country’s biggest health system shakeup and continued repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Growing up, I watched people I love struggle with their mental health, with them becoming stripped of a voice and left feeling powerless. I observed the role the media has to influence positive change. This led me to study journalism, with history and English, at the University of Canterbury and through a postgraduate diploma at Auckland University of Technology. I learnt about three key staples to journalism - holding powers to account, shining a light on injustices, and giving people a voice. Many of the stories I cover are harrowing and confronting. Those stories have stayed with me, but by sharing them we provoke meaningful conversation. To me, journalism is more than a job, it’s a privilege and one I am committed to never taking for granted

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