Mihingarangi Forbes

Mihingarangi Forbes (born 1972/1973), also known as Mihi Forbes and Joanne Forbes, is a New Zealand journalist, television presenter and radio broadcaster. She has worked on current affairs shows including Campbell Live, 20/20, and Native Affairs. In 2008, she won a Qantas award for 'Best Reporter for Daily Current Affairs'.

Mihingarangi Forbes
Born
Joanne Forbes

1972/1973 (age 47–48)
Occupationjournalist
Known forjournalism

Forbes is known for leading a 2013 investigation into alleged misspending by the Te Kōhanga Reo Trust Board.

Early life

Forbes was born as Joanne Forbes in 1972/1973[1] and grew up with her mother in Feilding, New Zealand.[2][3] Her father is a Māori bushman of Ngāti Paoa and Ngāti Maniapoto heritage, and her mother is Pākehā (non-Māori).[3][2] Although Forbes' grandmother was fluent in the Māori language (te reo), she rarely spoke it at home and preferred to speak English to her granddaughter.[2]

As a child, Forbes was deeply interested in journalism and storytelling, using a tape recorder to deliver fictional news and weather bulletins for her family.[3]

Forbes graduated from Feilding High School in 1990.[4] When she turned 19 or 20, she attended a Māori-language immersion college and became fluent in te reo.[2] Despite originally being known as Joanne, Forbes changed her name to Mihingarangi after her immersion experience – she and her fellow students had translated their names into Māori during the programme, and the new name stuck.[4]

Career

After finishing school, Forbes worked at a bar for a year before moving to Auckland.[3] In 1993, she read community news for Tainui Radio.[3] Despite her lack of formal journalism training, in the 1990s Forbes was offered an internship with TVNZ's Māori news programme Te Karere.[2] Following the birth of her first child in 2001, she worked briefly as a producer for Radio New Zealand.[2][3] After that, Forbes worked as producer for the TV3 current affairs show 20/20.[2]

In 2008, Forbes was working at TV3's current affairs show Campbell Live, earning a Qantas award for 'Best Reporter for Daily Current Affairs'.[5] During her time on the show, she conducted an infamous interview with businessman Alasdair Thompson, challenging his earlier comments about women earning less pay because of their menstruation cycles.[4]

Māori Television

In 2012, Forbes joined Māori Television as the producer of news show Te Kāea.[2] In February 2013, Forbes became presenter of Māori Television's current affairs show Native Affairs.[5] During a well-known 2014 interview with Jamie Whyte — a political candidate for ACT New Zealand — Forbes exposed his ignorance of the Māori health initiative Whanau Ora.[2][3]

Kōhanga Reo National Trust scandal

In October 2013,[6] Native Affairs aired an investigation led by Forbes into alleged misspending by the Te Kōhanga Reo Trust Board.[7] The show had obtained credit card transaction details of one board member and the general manager of the trust fund's charitable subsidiary.[7] The day after the show aired, Education Minister Hekia Parata and Māori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples met several trust board members at Parliament to discuss the allegations.[6]

Resignation

On 4 June 2015, Forbes announced her resignation from Māori TV on Twitter.[7] Media reports suggested that her departure from Māori TV was related to increasing editorial pressure on her work – her followup story on the Kohanga Reo National Trust had been held back, delayed without a clear explanation why.[3][7] Forbes stated that she had felt she was "losing control" of her stories.[3]

In 2016, it was revealed that Forbes was involved in a property dispute with Māori Television after her resignation, having been accused of taking several items of designer clothing from the company wardrobe without permission.[8] Forbes denied any wrongdoing, telling reporters that the clothing had been promised to her as extra compensation by her former boss at the company.[8]

Present-day

One day after her resignation from Māori TV, it was announced that Forbes was joining Radio New Zealand as a specialist correspondent for Māori affairs.[9][10] Forbes is currently presenter of Māori-oriented current affairs show, The Hui, which airs on Three New Zealand on Sunday mornings.[11]

Personal life

Forbes was in a relationship with Duncan Garner until 2008; they had two girls together.[12] She then married Afa Rasmussen and they have had two boys.[1] In an interview, Forbes has said that she supports bilingualism, and is raising her children to speak both English and Māori.[2]

See also

References
  1. Nealon, Sarah (10 March 2018). "The Hui's Mihingarangi Forbes on the biggest misconception about her". TV Guide. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  2. "Mihi Forbes: The quiet achiever". Stuff. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  3. "Mihingarangi Forbes: back in control in her new role". Stuff. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  4. "Top reporter never forgets her roots". Stuff. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  5. "Mihingarangi Forbes to present Native Affairs". Māori Television. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  6. "Urgent meeting called on kohanga reo spending". Radio New Zealand. 15 October 2013. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  7. "Māori Television journalist Mihingarangi Forbes quits". Stuff. Retrieved 29 August 2017.
  8. "Mihi Forbes in dispute with Māori TV over ownership of clothes". Stuff. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  9. "Forbes joining Radio New Zealand". The National Business Review. 5 June 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  10. "Mihingarangi Forbes joins Radio New Zealand". Radio New Zealand. 5 June 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  11. "The Hui webpage". Mediaworks Newshub. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  12. Simpson, Emily (22 September 2015). "Twelve Questions: Duncan Garner". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
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