Tova O'Brien

Tova O'Brien (born 1982/1983)[1] is a New Zealand political journalist.[2][3] She leads the team of political reporters for Newshub.

Tova O'Brien
O'Brien in 2020
Born1982/1983
Papua New Guinea
NationalityNew Zealander
OccupationPolitical journalist

Early life and education

O’Brien was born in Papua New Guinea. Her mother, a British journalist, and her father, a New Zealand helicopter pilot, had met while working in the country. When O'Brien was six months old, the family moved to New Zealand. Her parents separated when she was three and O'Brien was raised by her mother in Wellington.[1]

After high school, she started a degree at the University of Otago in film and psychology. She did not complete the degree, instead going overseas to work in Melbourne and London in hospitality. In 2006 she decided to train as a journalist and completed a qualification at Massey University. Her first journalism role after graduating was at Radio Active in Wellington.[1]

Career

O’Brien was a reporter in the parliamentary press gallery in Wellington before joining MediaWorks New Zealand in 2007.

In 2016 she was assigned the role of European correspondent for Newshub (MediaWorks' news division). In 2018 she returned to Wellington and became Newshub's political editor,[2] succeeding Patrick Gower. Her style of journalism, according to Gower, is "edgy", and she attracts a lot of criticism due to her high profile.[4]

In October 2020, O'Brien's interview with Jami-Lee Ross, co-leader of the Advance New Zealand party garnered 7 million views. She was internationally praised by journalists for preventing Ross from mentioning conspiracy theories about the Covid-19 pandemic during the interview.[5][6][7]

Recognition

In 2019, O'Brien won the award for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards.[4][8] The citation read:[9]

Courageous, tenacious, O'Brien wielded considerable influence on the 2018 political scene with her scoops, as a good member of the fourth estate should. She leads from the lip and is not put off by those who would have her silenced. A true political muckraker.

Personal life

O'Brien married Nathan "Nato" Hickey in 2016 in London; they had known each other since 2006 from Wellington.[1] Hickey is a drummer for the Wellington heavy metal band Beastwars.[10]

References
  1. "What They Really Talk About in the Press Gallery: Three's Political Reporter Tova O'Brien Spills". Now To Love. 28 March 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  2. "Tova O'Brien". www.nzonscreen.com. NZ On Screen. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  3. "Tova O'Brien". Newshub. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  4. "'Political muckraker' Tova O'Brien: 'Take a step back before you have a go'". Stuff. 1 May 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  5. Ainge Roy, Eleanor (19 October 2020). "New Zealand journalist feted for brutal takedown of minor party politician". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  6. Bond, Nick (18 October 2020). "Host destroys losing pollie in 'savage' live TV smackdown". NewsComAu. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  7. "'Masterclass': Jake Tapper, Piers Morgan, Glenn Greenwald among international journalists applauding Tova O'Brien's Jami-Lee Ross interview". Newshub. 19 October 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  8. "Accolades for top journalists at Voyager Media Awards". Voyager Media Awards. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  9. "Reporting winners' and judges' comments". Voyager Media Awards. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  10. "Reporter Tova O'Brien ties the knot in London". Stuff. 8 September 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
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