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Amanda Cropp (journalism)


Amanda Cropp

The journalist

Amanda Cropp from Christchurch was the recipient for the 2008 category one, journalism grant.

Amanda completed a BA at the University of Canterbury followed by a Diploma in Journalism at Auckland Technical Institute and has worked in journalism ever since.

Between 1980 and 1994 she worked for the Auckland Star, Radio New Zealand, The Dominion Sunday Times and as the news director at Newstalk ZB in Christchurch.

She has also worked in journalism education running training courses for most major New Zealand media organisations.

Amanda began freelancing seriously fourteen years ago and writes for a wide range of national business, lifestyle and current affairs publications. Her specialty areas are food, tourism, education and health issues, but - in her own words - "in reality I can and do write about pretty much anything."

As a member of the Freelance Market network, Amanda helped organise several freelance writers' conferences, and instigated the annual Freelance Choice Award to recognise good editors.

Her reporting skills have been recognised through numerous awards including a Qantas Journalist of the Year Award and a Winston Churchill Memorial Fellowship. She is also the author of a book on investigative reporting in New Zealand.

The project

Amanda has spent the best part of the last 12 months researching her project about mental health issues facing refugees, and writing a series of magazine features on that subject.

Her first article was published in the August 2009 issue of North and South magazine. Called 'No Refuge' , the article focuses on refugee and migrant mental health, and looks in detail at the issues and challenges faced by these New Zealand communities.

Amanda has another article coming out in Little Treasures magazine later this year.

Previous grants and awards

  • 1988: Skeptics Society Award for Journalistic Excellence
  • 1989: Qantas NZ Media Awards: Journalist of the Year - Dominion Sunday Times
  • 1991: Qantas NZ Media Awards: Best Tourism story - Dominion Sunday Times
  • 1992: Qantas NZ Media Awards: Best Human Relations story - Dominion Sunday Times
  • 1992: Fulbright Vocational Exchange - St Petersburg Times, Florida, USA.
  • 1992: Winston Churchill Memorial Fellowship: studied investigative reporting and journalistic ethics in the USA.
  • 1993: Skeptics Society Award for Journalistic Excellence
  • 1994: Mobil Radio Awards: Best News Story - Christchurch Civic Creche case
  • 1997: Published "Digging Deeper: A New Zealand Guide to Investigative Reporting" (NZJTO)
  • 2004: Qantas NZ Media Awards: Best Tourism and Travel story - North & South
  • 2005 & 2006: Magazine Publishers Association Awards: Journalist of the Year - Lifestyle section
  • 2007: Qantas NZ Media Awards: Best Tourism and Travel story - North & South
  • 2007: Qantas NZ Media Awards Finalist magazine feature writer section - North & South, Idealog, Unlimited, Te Karaka.
  • 2008: Qantas NZ Media Awards: Best Tourism and Travel story - Your Weekend.

Selection of previous work

  • Ping Pong Poms , Your Weekend magazine July 2009
  • Please carry my baby: part one of a two part story on surrogacy), Next, 2007
  • Behind closed doors : a story about domestic violence, Little Treasures, April/May 2007 (PDF supplied courtesy of Little Treasures magazine).

Websites

If you would like to make contact with Amanda, she can be contacted through the media grants programme, email: info "at" mediagrants.org.nz or directly on email: amandacropp "at" xtra.co.nz

Photo credit: Guy Frederick

Top Page last updated: 26 March 2012