‘I never in my wildest dreams thought I would get it’
FRUSTRATED OVER the slow pace of relief response for Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu, Koroi Hawkins – who was among the first international journalists to land at the category five cyclone-struck country – improvised his own way into the battered islands.
The next few days Hawkins was hopping aboard passing vessels, from a landing barge to a superyacht, using every means to make contact with victims.
The events he saw, the people he made contact with moved him into working two shifts – helping out with relief work by day and reporting for Radio New Zealand International (RNZI) by night.
His venture into the aftermath of the most powerful tropical cyclone in the southern hemisphere in March 2015 was among the first reports to come out from blacked out Vanuatu and included some of the most unique stories from victims whom he reached before rescue teams.
His prevailing hard work did not go unnoticed.
New York Festival Radio Awards, a globe-wide platform for the very best in the world of radio, on Tuesday gave Hawkins a silver award for his coverage of Cyclone Pam.
Hawkins was among the top of five recipients from RNZI who were awarded.
The award is perhaps the most recognised and highest achievement for a Solomon Islands journalist.
And well deserved, Hawkins’ performance in the local and regional mainstream media over the past decade has been well recognised and exceptional.
“I am both humbled and honoured,” Hawkins told Island Sun in an online interview shortly after the announcement.
“I never in my wildest dreams thought I would get it.”
Hawkins who started his journalism career with One News Television in 2006, made his way up the newsroom rank from a news reporter to a football show host, to a current affairs producer to subeditor and then becoming chief of staff of the local television company.
Prior to that, he had worked as a transcriber and interpreter for the Solomon Islands High Court for over a year in 2005.
Hawkins along the way has equipped himself by the attendance of a number of international workshop and seminars for journalists, from a media monitoring training for trainers in Apia, Samoa to stand among 20 senior Pacific Media Practitioners at the Global Freedom Forum in Oslo, Norway.
In 2010 he was awarded the Journalist of the Year by the Media Association of Solomon Islands, although Hawkins was busy out on assignment and did not attend presentations.
Hawkins now a father of four children, currently works for RNZI and has been living in New Zealand for the past two years.
His current job has exposed him to many regions around the Pacific including reports in the troubled West Papua.
“I believe in the work RNZI does providing comprehensive coverage of relevant Pacific news and current affairs.
“And I am also grateful for everything RNZI has done in assisting to move my family here to join me after two long years in New Zealand.”
He says his achievement has not changed any career options to explore further out of the Pacific.
“From my simple roots day in and day out working for One Television, through thick and thin, on poor wages – and yes sometimes no wages – with the poorest of resources to now being able to have the support and backing of my wonderful colleagues and managers at Radio New Zealand International, my passion for our region and our people remains the same.”
Hawkins acknowledges his RNZI colleagues, his former boss and mentor Dorothy Wickham and his family for the support they have given him.
He encourages fellow Solomon Islanders to aspire to become the best of themselves despite the surrounding circumstances.
“I love my country and miss it every day and being in New Zealand has made me want better things for Solomon Islands. I say let us demand the best from our leaders but also remember to demand the best from ourselves.
“Today I am a proud son of Solomon Islands and I hope my children and their children to will grow to be good citizens and leaders for our beautiful country.”
Read full interview below
ET: A milestone, if not historic achievement for a Solomon Islands journalist. How do you feel about the award?
KH: I am both humbled and honored to be receiving this international award I never in my wildest dreams thought I would get it having been finalist and falling short for this same coverage in the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union Awards and The Association of International Broadcasters Awards last year and again this year in the New Zealand Canon Media Awards I honestly thought we had no chance of getting anything at the New York Radio Awards.
ET: Can you tell us a little about the Vanuatu Cyclone Pam coverage that earned you the award?
KH: I was among the first lot of International Journalist who flew into Port Vila on an RNZAF Hercules a few days after Pam hit. There had been a total blackout of communications in Vanuatu as Pam had wiped out every tower in the country. I spent the next week filing from Port Vila on the relief effort or the lack thereof. Frustrated by the slow pace of the relief effort I hopped on a landing barge headed for the Shepherd Islands in the North and reported via sat phone on the things I saw there and was fortunate to be allowed on board a superyacht which was carrying out relief work in the country at the time and spent the final week doing relief work during the day with the team on the yacht and using the internet onboard to file my stories at night resulting in some unique coverage from some of the most remote and worst impacted parts of the country. The saddest thing was that because of the coms blackout a lot of people just did not know what was happening and we were often the first people to make contact with villages even weeks after the cyclone.
ET: What were the challenges you faced at that time?
KH: I think the biggest challenge for me was trying to tell the story in a way that portrayed the sheer devastation of Pam and its utter destruction of people’s lives. On top of this was the lack of power initially in Port Vila and the lack of internet outside of Port Vila. I owe most of what I was able to achieve in terms to the kindness and generosity of people in Vanuatu who despite the severity of their loss and troubles assisted me in countless ways and shared their doubts fears and soul moving accounts with me. I was also quite challenged by an additional task given to me by our enthusiastic digital team to provide a live twitter stream that is updates every 20 mins from different locations with pictures.
ET: What does the New York Festival Radio Awards mean for your career? Do you plan to move on from RNZI?
KH: The New York Festival Radio Award for me is quite simply reinforces my belief that the issues facing the Pacific matter not only to a regional audience but to the world. The work that all Pacific journalists do is important. From my simple roots day in and day out working for One Television, through thick and thin, on poor wages – and yes sometimes no wages – with the poorest of resources to now being able to have the support and backing of my wonderful colleagues and managers at Radio New Zealand International, my passion for our region and our people remains the same. And to answer your second question I do not plan to move from RNZI. I believe in the work RNZI does providing comprehensive coverage of relevant Pacific news and current affairs. And I am also grateful for everything RNZI has done in assisting to move my family here to join me after two long years in New Zealand.
ET: How would you compare your experience working in the local mainstream media and your time with RNZI? What can our local media learn from your achievement?
KH: The main differences I have seen between working in the international media as opposed to local media in the Solomons are resources and standards. On one hand there are more resources here than we ever dreamed off back home but on the other you are expected to deliver the highest standard of work to justify having those resources. This allows for a focus on quality not possible in our local newsrooms operating on shoestring budgets and the countless problems of daily life in a developing country such as power cuts or running out of credit or not getting paid on time or at all to name a few. But this does not mean you can’t aspire to be the best version of yourself that your circumstances allow. And that is my encouragement to all my fellow Solomon Islanders. I love my country and miss it every day and being in New Zealand has made me want better things for Solomon Islands. I say let us demand the best from our leaders but also remember to demand the best from ourselves. Today I am a proud son of Solomon Islands and I hope my children and their children to will grow to be good citizens and leaders for our beautiful country. God Bless Solomon Islands.
ET: Any acknowledgements you’d like to share on this occasion?
KH: First of all I would like to thank the almighty from whom all things come both for the opportunities and the abilities he has provided. Secondly my family Margaret Kori Maealasia for looking after four children as a single mother in the two years we have been apart and enabling me to do my job. To my mum and dad Bob and Effie Hawkins who listen to RNZ international at 6pm every evening from Munda. Leana hola mumi balabala hola igo ray koa sa totoso hie tataru koa goi. To my former boss and mentor Dorothy Wickham thank you for my career and for believing in me and standing by me through thick and thin. To my new RNZ family and colleagues at RNZ International for your ongoing support and guidance. To the countless individuals and organisations who assisted me in one way or the other during my coverage of Cyclone Pam. And finally to the people of Vanuatu and the Pacific who continue to be affected by the ever increasing natural disasters of our times. God bless and keep us all.
The post KOROI’S SILVER AWARD – Solomon Islands journalist Koroi Hawkins receives international silver award for Radio NZ’s Cyclone Pam coverage appeared first on Islandsun Daily News.