Sharing stories to inspire and inform

Published date25 May 2023
Publication titleCentral Otago News
I loved the stories of Peter Arnett, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist from Bluff — yes, you read that right — who swam across the Mekong River to Thailand with rolls of film and copy to file stories of a coup in Laos

Many times Arnett put his life on the line to make sure the world was informed.

When I was at university in Dunedin (a very short exercise many years ago) I spent many days at the museum sitting and looking at an exhibition of New Zealand photographer Brian Brake’s ‘‘Monsoon’’ photo essay.

The series for Life magazine followed the effects of the monsoon season in India, powerfully documenting the emotions and stories of the people it touched.

Those images and stories had a profound effect on me, as did many others.

Stories and images of famine, of revolutions, of earthquakes and natural disasters.

Stories of cultural festivals and celebrations, of harvests, of resilience and hope.

Each bringing to light important issues, helping people see things with a different perspective.

Community news may seem a long way from those stories — but is still just as powerful in its own way.

Our region is full of stories waiting to be told, each of them important.

Yarns about salt-of-the-earth characters working the land for generations, stories of innovation and technology birthed right here; of school children and their achievements, of the diverse cultures and nationalities that call Central Otago home.

But also the hard stuff.

We have a duty to keep people informed — of...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT