Keith Newman: Journalist

Keith Newman is the author of ‘Ratana Revisited’, ‘Connecting the Clouds: The Internet in New Zealand’, ‘Ratana: The Prophet’ and ‘Bible & Treaty’. He has established himself over the past 20 years as one of New Zealand’s foremost Technology Journalists writing for mainstream media about telecommunications, computing and the Internet.

ABOUT Keith Newman

“He’s a passionate advocate for New Zealand arts and music and has written poems, prose and song lyrics. He has produced and narrated over a dozen Musical Chairs Programmes for Radio New Zealand.

In 2007 he won the Best Produced Music Programme at the New Zealand Radio Awards for his ‘Blerta Years’ series broadcast on Radio New Zealand National.

In his capacity as a writer about technology and related subjects Keith has been recognised through a number of National Awards. He was the sway.tech Hi-tech Journalist of the year, Price Waterhouse Coopers Hi-Tech Awards 2009.

He was also Best Magazine Feature Writer, IC&T, Qantas Media Awards 2004; Telecommunications Users Association (TUANZ ) Journalist of the Year 2004, Finalist 2005 and 2006 and Finalist MPA Business Journalist of the Year 2005. He is married to acclaimed contemporary photorealism artist, Paula Novak.”

5 KURIOUS KIWI QUESTIONS

Do you have interesting friends? I do. I’m a kurious kiwi, so in this LifeStyle section I ask them 5 Questions. Their responses are sometimes startling yet always thought evoking. I ask each of them a common question relating to a Cause they believe in and why it matters to them. Read on to share in their take on what they think really does matter.

You’re an Award winning NZ Journalist, what do you say is the essence of good story-telling?

Creating links between what was, what is and what could be. Helping readers/ listeners and viewers/audience make a leap of faith to imagine the next personal space in their world view. Making complex topics readable and even enjoyable.

If you were bookends, which years of NZ musical history would we find in between them?

1966 – 1976: Years when something borrowed turned to something blue (s) and new before formulaic radio and TV programming curbed and in some cases terminated the careers of some of our finest heritage artists. That influences my 30 or so contributions to Radio New Zealand National’s Musical Chairs segment.

Tell me about your Cause and why it matters so much to you?

Redressing the missing and sometimes purposefully omitted links in our rich but young history, particularly where it has to do with missionaries and Maori heroes of the faith and our spiritual heritage that could contribute to a more balanced sense of where we are in history, our national health and a vision for the future (two Books about Ratana and Bible & Treaty).

For Save the Cape Coast (Haumoana, Te Awanga, Clifton), working with and for the community to ensure it has a voice and a say in its own future including erosion protection so that uninformed, bureaucratic legislation and attitudes no longer insist the sea has more rights than the pioneering spirit that has for generations worked with nature to protect people and property.

What are you reading right now?

Former Waiapu Archbishop John Bluck’s ‘Hidden Country’ which he recently sent me; just completed ‘Soul Cravings’ by Erwin Raphael McManus and about to start the revised ‘Amusing Ourselves to Death’ by the late Neil Postman

God is central to your beliefs. How do Christian values make you a better writer?

Knowledge that there is a Creator gives me hope, a sense of destiny and an anchor for my soul. To know that for everything there is a season and a time enables me to wait patiently to see what’s really going on.

Knowledge that his son Jesus the Christ walked this way in an earthsuit before giving his life gives me an example for honesty, humility, justice and extraordinary love and to make sure I am presenting a balanced and well researched viewpoint.

As I continue to learn about my own worldview; listening and learning as I go, I am emboldened with every revelation to look for stories and patterns in history and daily life that express those super-natural elements that secretly excite us all.”

RELATED

1. Homepage  2. Book: Bible and Treaty  3. Book: Ratana: The Prophet  4. Book: Connecting the Clouds: The Internet in New Zealand   5. Book: Ratana Revisted  6. Paula Novak Gallery