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Carol Hirschfeld
Hirschfeld in 2017
Born1962 (age 61–62)
Auckland, New Zealand
Occupation(s)Journalist, broadcaster, TV presenter, media executive
SpouseFinlay Macdonald
Career
NetworkMāori Television Service
CountryNew Zealand

Carol Ann Hirschfeld (born 1962) is a New Zealand journalist, documentary maker, broadcaster, producer and media executive. She is best known for her role as a TV3 News presenter alongside John Campbell from 1998 until 2005. As a broadcast media executive she has been a powerful advocate for improving the coverage of Māori issues, and of increasing the diversity of voices within the media. “I think the biggest challenge is to have that Māori voice in mainstream media organisations. And one of my concerns has been how to integrate an informed Māori viewpoint into the fabric of our news.” [1]

Early life

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Hirschfeld is Ngāti Porou, and lost her mother Ngawiki when she was ten.[1][2][3][4] Her father was an Australian immigrant of German ancestry.[1] She graduated from the University of Auckland in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Indonesian.[5] She started her career after going to the ATI journalism school, at what is now AUT University, in Auckland.

Career

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After graduating with a diploma in journalism, Hirschfeld was hired by Radio New Zealand and sent to work at Lakeland FM in Taupo in 1984.[6] Following this she worked as a sub-editor, first with the Auckland Star newspaper, then with TVNZ[2] where she eventually became a current affairs director/producer for Frontline and Assignment.[2] She was also briefly a presenter-reporter on Fair Go and co-presented Crimewatch [2] with Ian Johnstone for several years. In 1998 she left TVNZ to become a newsreader on TV3's 6.00pm bulletin with John Campbell. Together the pair also created and produced Home Truths, a late night interview show, and A Queen's Tour, a travel series retracing Queen Elizabeth II's royal tour of New Zealand in 1953.[2] In 2005 Hirschfeld and Campbell stepped down and were succeeded by Hilary Barry and Mike McRoberts. Hirschfeld moved with John Campbell to his then-new 7.00pm weekday current-events show Campbell Live as the producer, taking the role as presenter on Fridays. She left TV3 in August 2009 to become head of programming at Māori Television.[7]

In 2014, Hirschfeld resigned from Māori Television after a proposed restructuring of the broadcasting service. She later became Radio New Zealand's head of content, responsible for news, drama, music, spoken features and the broadcaster's international service, Radio New Zealand International.[2] She implemented RNZ's first foray into multimedia journalism with the launch of Checkpoint with John Campbell in 2016.[8] On 27 March 2018, she resigned after questions were raised in parliament over whether a meeting she'd had with Broadcasting Minister Clare Curran had been official or otherwise.[2][9][10] Radio New Zealand was subsequently required to correct its record of the meeting at a Parliamentary Select Committee.[11]

In June 2018 Hirschfeld was appointed Head of Video/Audio & Content Partnerships at news website Stuff.[12]

In January 2022 she announced she would be leaving Stuff to take on a role as executive producer on Mediaworks' Tova O'Brien radio show, Today FM. [13] Today FM was taken off air in March 2023 and in September 2023 it was announced that Hirschfeld would take up the position of executive producer of TVNZ's Breakfast programme.[14]

In October 2023 Hirschfeld was the Executive Producer for TVNZ’s 2023 Election Debates and Election Night coverage. [15]

Private life

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Hirschfeld is married to Finlay Macdonald,[16] a former editor of the New Zealand Listener and book publisher. The couple live in Auckland, and have two children.[6][17]

Awards

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Charitable work

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Hirschfeld has been active in a number of charities and trusts: Teach First NZ, the Hone Tuwhare Charitable Trust, New Zealand LAM Charitable Trust and Breast Cancer Cure.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Husband, Dale (13 February 2016). "Carol Hirschfeld: I love the mission in front of us". E-Tangata. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Carol Hirschfeld". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  3. ^ Cleave, Louisa (24 August 2000). "Carol Hirschfeld goes back to the books". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 13 July 2009.
  4. ^ Cheng, Derek (27 March 2018). "Radio New Zealand chairman Richard Griffin says Carol Hirschfeld stuck to meeting claim for four months". NZ Herald. NZME Publishing. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
  5. ^ a b c "Carol Hirschfeld honoured by the University of Auckland". University of Auckland. 3 March 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Carol Hirschfeld's long distance love". Now To Love. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  7. ^ "Carol Hirschfeld leaves TV3". Stuff.co.nz. 9 June 2009. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  8. ^ Kenny, Katie (19 January 2016). "Thumbs up for Checkpoint with John Campbell". Stuff. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  9. ^ Manhire, Toby (29 June 2018). "With John Campbell the latest, biggest name to quit, what's going on at RNZ?". The Spinoff. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  10. ^ Jennings, Mark (9 April 2018). "Hirschfeld keeps her head down". Newsroom. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  11. ^ "RNZ fronts up to correct record at select committee". Radio New Zealand. 5 April 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  12. ^ "Broadcaster Carol Hirschfeld shakes off RNZ departure, joins Stuff". Stuff. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  13. ^ "Carol Hirschfeld to be executive producer of Mediaworks' new Tova O'Brien radio show". Stuff. 20 January 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  14. ^ Jack, Amberleigh (20 September 2023). "Carol Hirschfeld has a new job at TVNZ". Stuff. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  15. ^ Jack, Amberleigh (20 September 2023). "Carol Hirschfeld has a new job at TVNZ". Stuff. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  16. ^ "Romantic Recollections: Carol Hirschfield - New Zealand Weddings Magazine". New Zealand Weddings. Archived from the original on 23 June 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  17. ^ "Hello Beauty: Carol Hirschfeld's Open Letter to Her Daughter Who Has Moved Away To Start University". Now To Love. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  18. ^ "Carol Hirschfeld Awards". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
Media offices
Preceded by Newsreader of 3 News
(with John Campbell)
1998 – 2005 		Succeeded by
First Producer of Campbell Live
2005 – 2009 		Succeeded by
Pip Keane
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