What I cover: I work as a multimedia journalist, covering stories across radio, digital, and video platforms to serve and reflect Pacific communities from the Pacific region and in Aotearoa. I cover the Pacific region from my base in New Zealand, travelling across the islands to report on everything from hard news to community success stories. With a strong focus on Samoa affairs and domestic Pacific issues, I’m passionate about telling stories that matter to Pacific peoples, whether they unfold here in Aotearoa or across the region. I strive to hold those in power to account while being an advocate for my communities, ensuring every story is told with integrity, balance, fairness, and accuracy. I love video storytelling and aim to tell stories as multimedia as possible, spanning web, radio, and social media, to reach and reflect our communities in meaningful ways.
My background: Fluent in the Samoan language, I bring cultural insight and depth to storytelling, particularly in navigating sensitive topics such as death and community impact. I began working in media in 2019, with roles at Radio Samoa, Bluwave TV, and PMN as a bilingual presenter. My journalism career took shape in 2022 through the Te Rito journalism cadetship, where I gained experience across major newsrooms, including NZME, Newshub, Whakaata Māori, and Pacific Media Network. This pathway allowed me to contribute to the diversification of mainstream media. I later joined Tagata Pasifika, expanding into multimedia and TV journalism, before starting at RNZ in 2024. Since then, I’ve continued to grow as a journalist, breaking stories and producing exclusive reports.
Contact me: If you have an idea for a story or have feedback for me, please feel free to get in touch: grace.tinetali-fiavaai@rnz.co.nz