Science Media Centre NZ
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Independent, unbiased scientific information for the New Zealand media | sciencemediacentre.co.nz
Pets’ flea meds poison freshwater critters – Expert Reaction
Pets' flea meds poison freshwater critters - Expert Reaction - Science Media Centre
A UK inquiry into common parasite treatments for pets finds their widespread use “is not supported by robust scientific evidence.” […]
sciencemediacentre.co.nz
Kids who start social media earlier may do worse at school – Expert Reaction
Kids who start social media earlier may do worse at school - Expert Reaction - Science Media Centre
An Italian study finds children who joined social media as pre-teens had worse grades in Italian and maths tests – but they […]
sciencemediacentre.co.nz
What NZ’s electrical grid might look like in 2050 – Expert Reaction
https://www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2026/07/31/what-nzs-electrical-grid-might-look-like-in-2050-expert-reaction
sciencemediacentre.co.nz
Talking to the media about your research shouldn't feel dauting. The Science Media Centre's free monthly talks are designed to help researchers feel more confident engaging with the media. Register for FREE here: www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/monthly-talk...
Free monthly talks with the SMC - Science Media Centre
Join us for a monthly webinar where we cover topics like working with the media, communicating your research to the […]
sciencemediacentre.co.nz
NZ’s climate goals off-track – Expert Reaction
NZ's climate goals off-track - Expert Reaction
The latest emissions reduction monitoring report says we're running out of time to meet our targets. Farming, electricity, and transport are the biggest risks to emissions budgets, the Climate Change…
sciencemediacentre.co.nz
Attention Christchurch-based researchers. There are still spaces available on the @smcnz.bsky.social media training workshop at UC on 3-4 Sep. I can't recommend this course highly enough - get in quick these spaces will disappear fast! www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/science-medi...
Science Media SAVVY
Our flagship media training increases confidence and skills to help researchers to engage more effectively with the wider public through broadcast, print and social media. Apply below. We create a uni...
sciencemediacentre.co.nz
Native bird tests positive for bird flu – Expert Reaction
Native bird tests positive for bird flu - Expert Reaction
The kāhu (swamp harrier hawk) - found in the Wairarapa - is the second case of bird flu in NZ and the first in a native bird. The first case, detected in a seabird, was announced on Wednesday. The…
sciencemediacentre.co.nz
Te Anau quakes and tsunami alert – Expert Reaction
Te Anau quakes and tsunami alert - Expert Reaction
A strong earthquake last night near Te Anau was followed by a tsunami warning and aftershocks. The tsunami warning, issued for Milford Sound to Puysegur Point, was downgraded then cancelled after an…
sciencemediacentre.co.nz
Should NZ copy Australia’s ‘Office of AI’? – Expert Reaction
Should NZ copy Australia's 'Office of AI'? - Expert Reaction
The Australian Prime Minister has announced a new 'Office of AI' that will develop a single, national framework for the rollout of the technology. The framework will bring together work from…
sciencemediacentre.co.nz
Tiny plastics in blood linked to heart attacks – Expert Reaction
Tiny plastics in blood linked to heart attacks - Expert Reaction
In a small European study, people who'd suffered a serious heart attack were more likely to have micro- and nanoplastics in their blood. Looking at about 60 people, scientists found the tiny plastics…
sciencemediacentre.co.nz
Pacific coral reef plight takes centre-stage – Expert Reaction
Pacific coral reef plight takes centre-stage - Expert Reaction
Researchers from around the world will meet in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland next week to discuss the threats facing coral reefs and how to solve them. This is the first time the week-long symposium has…
sciencemediacentre.co.nz
Nitrate in our drinking water may be linked to preterm births – Expert Reaction
Nitrate in our drinking water may be linked to preterm births - Expert Reaction
Even nitrate levels well below the regulatory limit may slightly increase the risk of preterm births, a large NZ study finds. For over 700,000 births in NZ between 2008 and 2021, researchers looked…
sciencemediacentre.co.nz
NZ prepares for the threat of bird flu – Expert Reaction
NZ prepares for the threat of bird flu - Expert Reaction
The Australian government has now reported seven cases of a serious type of bird flu in wild birds. Over the last few years, this type of bird flu has caused high numbers of deaths in poultry and…
sciencemediacentre.co.nz
2025 was the 2nd-warmest year on record for the South-West Pacific – Expert Reaction
2025 was the 2nd-warmest year on record for the South-West Pacific - Expert Reaction
The higher temperatures came with increased rainfall, marine heatwaves, and sea level rise, says a report from the World Meteorological Organisation. Many of these changes impacted NZ, which also had…
sciencemediacentre.co.nz
The collective effort for sustainable farming in the Pacific – Expert Reaction
The collective effort for sustainable farming in the Pacific - Expert Reaction
Researchers from across the Pacific will gather in Fiji this week to discuss how to achieve sustainable farming in the region. The Fiji International Landcare and Sustainable Agriculture Conference…
sciencemediacentre.co.nz
Parts of Aotearoa may face water shortages and increased wildfire risks this spring, Earth Sciences NZ says. El Niño has been declared in the tropical Pacific, and is expected to intensify into one of the strongest on record. This is likely to... https://www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/?p=49206
Many Kiwi bedrooms are too cold in winter, despite homes being warmer than they were 20 years ago, a new report says. The Building Research Association of New Zealand analysed indoor temperature data from more than 250 NZ households and found... https://www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/?p=49183
The first cases of H5N1 bird flu in mainland Australia were identified in seabirds over the weekend. The highly infectious virus has spread in wild birds around the world for the past few years, reaching the Antarctic Peninsula in 2024. As well as... https://www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/?p=49190
The government is proposing conservation law changes that would make it easier to sell off some types of land. The proposed Bill also adds a new responsibility for the Department of Conservation to recognise and enable, as much as possible,... https://www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/?p=49168
PMN reports on the Science Media Centre's 2026 Science Journalism Awards, where Taelegalolo'u Mary Afemata was named a finalist in the Emerging Science Journalist category for her piece "UNSUNG HERO: The woman redefining Parkinson's support for NZ's Pacific families." pmn.co.nz/read/communi...
Pacific stories praised for community impact at New Zealand Science Journalism Awards
A story helping connect Pasifika with Parkinson's disease and others on indigenous knowledge, conservation and community-led solutions are recognised at Aotearoa's top science media awards.
pmn.co.nz
Te Ao Māori News reports on the Science Media Centre's 2026 Science Journalism Awards, where Natasha Hill won the Emerging science journalist award for her video story, "South Island rūnanga looks to Japan as lake’s taonga species face critical decline." www.teaonews.co.nz/2026/06/19/t...
Te Ao Māori News wins at Science Journalism Awards
Te Ao Māori News’ Natasha Hill wins Emerging Science Journalist Award for a story on Wairewa Rūnanga using Japanese knowledge to protect declining taonga lake species.
teaonews.co.nz
Bottom trawling—towing a net along the seafloor to catch fish—is one of the most contested areas of the just-stalled Fisheries Amendment Bill. This week, the Prime Minister said that the economic and environmental effects of the... https://www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/?p=49153
Regulation to permit gene-edited plants has just passed in European Parliament, allowing genetic changes that don't introduce foreign DNA. The new rules aim to improve the food system by allowing gene-edited crop varieties that are more climate and... https://www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/?p=49144
The winners of this year's Science Journalism Awards have covered the damage feral cats unleash on Fiordland's wildlife, and an unexpected collaboration between Māori and Japan to save our tuna/eels. Farah Hancock of RNZ wins this year’s... https://www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/?p=49122
SCIENCE JOURNALISM AWARDS WINNER: Farah Hancock of RNZ wins this year’s Established science journalist category for her In Depth article which documents the tension between amateur trappers and official conservation efforts.
SCIENCE JOURNALISM AWARDS WINNER: Natasha Hill of Te Ao Maori News wins the Emerging science journalist award for her video story, which followed members of the Wairewa Rūnanga to Japan as they learned about how to help tuna/eels migrate.
Who will take home a coveted Golden Tardigrade trophy tonight? Keep your eyes peeled as we announce the winners of the Science Journalism Awards!
