Allied Press has welcomed a new reporter to its North Otago office this week. Nic Duff has joined the team writing for the Oamaru Mail and Otago Daily Times. Kayla Hodge fires some questions at him.
Q Tell me a little bit about yourself, Nic.
I was born and bred in Mosgiel. I am the second-oldest of four children and my parents still reside down south. I’ve shifted around a lot in the past three years with study and work but I hope to settle in here in Oamaru.
Q What have you been doing since you left school?
I studied journalism at the New Zealand Broadcasting School in Christchurch for two years. And then I shifted up north to Hamilton where I completed a six-month internship with Northern Districts Cricket.
Q What inspired you to study journalism?
Throughout high school, I never really knew what I wanted to do once I finished. I knew that I loved sport and wanted to work within sport in any capacity. So I decided to try to become a sports journalist, but once I got to broadcasting school I fell in love with all forms of journalism. I enjoyed learning about new topics and telling stories of the amazing people I interviewed. From then on I was hooked.
Q What are you most looking forward to in your role as a reporter?
I’m really looking forward to getting to know the Oamaru community and to hopefully have a positive impact through my story telling.
Q What role do you think the Oamaru Mail, and newspapers, play in the community?
I think local newspapers can be a real celebration of the many wonderful things going on in the community. Reporting on small stories that may not appeal to national news outlets, but can still mean a lot to local people. I also believe they give a voice to the voiceless. Regular everyday people may not feel heard by larger news outlets but local newspapers can provide them a platform to be heard.
Q You’re passionate about sport. Where does that stem from? Anything in particular you’re interested in?
Growing up my family was very sports-driven. My dad played rugby and cricket until he hit his 20s and my mum played netball throughout high school. All three of my siblings played at least two sports growing up, one in the winter and one in the summer, but I was involved in as many as I could possibly fit into my week. Sport always felt like an escape to me. Away from all the stresses and worries of life, you could just enjoy having fun with your mates.
Q What are your interests outside of work?
As I mentioned above, I love sport, so you’ll often find me watching or playing some form of sport in my spare time.
