Zoe Madden-Smith
I don’t know anything about politics: what do the parties stand for?
My feed's been spammed by so many political scandals I don’t know what each party stands for anymore
Cyberbullying is illegal in NZ yet nearly one third of teens experience it
Online bullying is so common that it can be embarrassing to actually talk about it. But so many people’s lives are shaped, and even ruined, by…
New Zealanders tell us why they marched with the Black Lives Matter movement
On June 1, New Zealanders marched in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Here's why.
Some unis are bumping up grades because of Covid and students say it’s unfair
Otago and Auckland University are automatically bumping up grades across the board in response to Covid-19. But most other New Zealand universities have ruled a grade…
New Zealanders seem to hate beneficiaries. Is there hope that Covid will change that?
Covid has meant nearly 40,000 people have accessed the jobseeker benefit, nearly half of them for the first time. One million New Zealanders have been given…
Offenders released during the Covid-19 lockdown say they felt safer in prison
Prisoner support network PARS says housing New Zealand’s most vulnerable was difficult before a pandemic. But now, people are being released into a world that’s even…
Ramadan in lockdown has been 'very different'
With the country in lockdown, this is the first time New Zealand’s Muslim community is observing Ramadan without access to a mosque.
“This year, Ramadan has been…
‘We failed her’ - Young ACT vice president resigns after sexual harassment
The vice-president of Young ACT has resigned, saying she faced months of sexual harassment.
Students are refusing to pay rent for university accommodation they can’t use
Students at halls of residence across the country are being asked to continue to pay for accomodation they can’t access due to Covid-19 restrictions. Halls at…
Some people with social anxiety are dreading life after lockdown
Lockdown has provided relief to people with social anxiety. The ban on socialising outside of our bubble means some no longer need to force themselves to…
Future essential workers are expected to live in poverty to get qualified
Covid-19 has made life harder for many New Zealanders, but students remain the only group whose support package is just more debt. Re: spoke with eight…
Some Kiwis love being in lockdown
We asked New Zealanders how they are coping with lockdown and if they can bear it being extended.
On Monday April 20 New Zealanders will find out…
People in their 20s have Covid-19 the most, but it’s not because we’re irresponsible
Despite popular belief, experts say it isn’t because young people are rebelling against lockdown more than others. There’s actually a pretty simple explanation.
Sophie’s phone lit up…
People genuinely think 5G is linked to Covid-19
We asked someone why they think 5G is linked to Covid-19. Then we asked a health expert if he agreed. Spoiler: he really didn’t.
In the midst…
Two Kiwis tell us what it's like being stranded in Peru during a pandemic
Update: After a month-long wait, the New Zealanders stranded in Peru have finally made it home. A Government-chartered mercy flight from Lima touched down in Auckland early…
Supermarket workers tell us about being on the front line of Covid-19
Supermarket workers are risking their health to keep us fed. Re: asked three workers how they’re coping and what they need from us to help them…
Eight Aucklanders tell us the last thing they bought before lockdown
New Zealand is two days into a four-week lockdown to stop the spread of Covid-19. The only shops open for the next month are supermarkets, pharmacies…
We spoke to uni students scrambling to get home before lockdown
People are flooding to ferries and planes to get across the Cook Strait before lockdown. Students say tickets to the North Island sold out in minutes…
Women in New Zealand are getting HIV, but aren’t getting tested
HIV doesn’t discriminate, but the way it’s tested can. The stereotype that associates the virus with gay men means New Zealand women aren’t taken seriously when…
Meet the teens chosen to run for Parliament before they could even vote
They’re young, not afraid to talk about mental health and just as anxious about climate change as the rest of us.
17-year-old Luke Wijohn and 18-year-old William…
People living with HIV tell us how we can stop the stigma
Modern HIV medication keeps New Zealanders alive and untransmittable. Nowadays, the stigma is harder to live with than the virus itself. Re: spoke with three HIV+…
We can’t keep treating indigenous knowledge as a backup plan
Australia is on fire and the seas that surround Aotearoa are rising. Why are we waiting for a climate crisis to listen to indigenous knowledge?
Despite only…