NZBS journalism ākonga have local elections covered
Passion for politics doesn’t take a day off
New Zealand Broadcasting School students will be covering results across Canterbury councils on election day. PHOTO: REUBEN SMITH/NZBS
This Saturday, a classroom at Ara Institute of Canterbury will transform into what may be the country’s largest election-focused newsroom - run entirely by journalism ākonga (students) from the New Zealand Broadcasting School (NZBS).
Led by tutor Daisy Hudson, the pop-up news hub will be staffed by a dedicated team of first and second-year Bachelor of Broadcasting Communication (Journalism) students, volunteering their time during the semester break to cover local body election results across the Waitaha region.
“The project began when students mentioned it was a shame they wouldn’t be able to cover election day, given it fell on a term break weekend,” Hudson said. “After canvassing our first and second years we realised there was enough interest to run a full newsroom!”
“The programme is already really hands-on,” she added. “But it’s great to see students wanting to apply that learning, engage with local democracy, and work to inform the public.”
The student-led team will report on results from Christchurch City Council, Selwyn, Waimakariri and Ashburton districts, as well as Environment Canterbury and all Christchurch community boards. A live blog will also track key national results as they unfold.
As results come in, ākonga will seek reaction from newly elected mayors and councillors, with stories and video content published throughout the day on MetroNews and shared across MetroNews and NZBS social media platforms.
The focus is on mastering the art of covering a rolling, breaking news event. Ākonga will be paired across year levels to foster peer learning, with Hudson stepping into a sub-editor role.
“They’re learning from each other - not just from me,” Hudson said. “It’s great to see their passion for covering something that’s so important to our everyday lives.”
This isn’t the first time NZBS students have stepped into the political arena. Second-year students Aleksandra Bogdanova and Reuben Smith were selected for the prestigious 2025 New Zealand Youth Press Gallery, reporting from the Beehive during July’s Youth Parliament.
Smith is also running a MetroNews poll ahead of the dedicated election day newsroom, gauging voter sentiment before the ballots are counted.
Watch the student newsroom in action this Saturday on MetroNews and follow NZBS on Instagram and Facebook for live updates, interviews and results.