The Scoop Foundation Trustees are delighted to announce the two recipients of Scoop’s $5,000 grant round for significant
earthquake related public interest journalism projects. The recipients are Veronika Meduna and Charlotte Graham. Both
are highly experienced journalists with great reputations as investigative journalists in a public interest context. The
editorial panel selected these recipients based on their stellar track records as well as the fact that their outlined
projects will add significant value to the national debate over two specific aspects of earthquake resilience and
reconstruction.
Photo: Christchurch City Libraries
Veronika Meduna is an award-winning science writer and broadcaster. In her role as producer/presenter of RNZ’s science programme Our
Changing World (2005-2016) she has told hundreds of stories about science and its social relevance and impact. During
her 15 years with RNZ, Veronika has worked in news, the parliamentary gallery, for current affairs programmes and in
spoken features, on air and online.
Photo: Guy Ryan
Charlotte Graham has worked as a journalist in Wellington and Christchurch since 2006 and is currently completing a Master’s in
Journalism. She spent more than 8 years at Radio New Zealand as a reporter, sub-editor, and eventually senior producer
for Nine to Noon. As well as freelancing, Charlotte teaches journalism and public relations at Massey University. In
2016 Charlotte won the Original Composition Prize at Victoria University’s Institute of Modern Letters.
The recipients are already into the research phases of their projects and will publish the results in the middle of
2017. We are really looking forward to seeing the output of these worthy projects and anticipate two high quality pieces
of multi-media journalism. We are extremely proud to be facilitating these two fine journalists to apply their
journalistic craft to this vitally important subject.
Next Grant Round
The Scoop Foundation is also looking forward to working with Scoop Publishing on another grant round later this year as
part of our Open News Project. This project aims to “Open the Election” by funding freelance journalism on significant issues of public interest in
the 2017 National Election campaign.
If you value this contestable grant approach to funding journalism and wish to see more quality public interest
journalism in this important election year, we would highly recommend that you pledge on Scoop’s current crowdfunding
campaign.
None of this would be possible without the generous support of over 1000 Kiwis who have become the pioneering members
Scoop in its quest to create a new model for independent media and journalism in New Zealand.
We thank you for standing with us to create a future for independent media in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Margaret Thompson
Chair, The Scoop Foundation for Public Interest Journalism