"STAND OUT" STUDENT FROM TARANAKI

"STAND OUT" STUDENT FROM TARANAKI AWARDED TVNZ JOURNALISM SCHOLARSHIP

Taranaki has produced television stars Jim Hickey and Toni Street&now another talented young broadcaster with a promising career in television journalism has emerged from the province.
18 year old Kimberlee Downs of New Plymouth has been awarded the Television New Zealand Journalism Diversity Scholarship at Auckland's AUT University.
The scholarship, which is valued at more than $30,000, is open to New Zealanders who are of Maori, Pacific Island or Asian ethnicity, are accepted into the BCS programme and meet strong community and media criteria. All fees are paid for during the three year degree and paid holiday work is offered at TVNZ.
Kimberlee is a third generation Chinese New Zealander with an excellent academic and sporting record from Sacred Heart College in New Plymouth.
Head of News & Current Affairs, Anthony Flannery said the scholarship was about telling all of the nation's stories and having all kiwis on screen.
"The scholarship is designed to make the TVNZ newsroom more diverse and better reflect the perspective of all New Zealanders in the news.
"I'm confident Kimberlee will help us achieve that goal, she was an outstanding candidate, and would have been in any field she'd entered. I'm sure she will be very successful and the Chinese community in New Zealand will be very proud of her."
Kimberlee began her first week of work experience at TVNZ today and has gone straight into the Auckland newsroom - the busiest television newsroom in the country producing 9 full news shows per day, hourly bulletins and 24/7 website news on www.tvnz.co.nz
The Scholarship Judges believe she can handle the pressure, they said Kimberlee was a stand-out applicant and a unanimous choice to be the second ever recipient of the diversity initiative. They also added that her, "down-to-earth, practical Taranaki can-do attitude will serve her well in journalism."

ISSUED BY:
Anthony Flannery
Head of News and Current Affairs
TVNZ

For an interview with Kimberlee Downs please contact Andi on the number / email below.



http://tvnz.co.nz/content/2830754