Source: Radio New Zealand
It was a “bittersweet” moment when Melissa Stokes learned she was to be the new lead presenter of TVNZ’s 1News at Six.
“Because my mum died two years ago and she would have loved to have known that I’d got the job.”
He family knew when she found out, but were on strict orders to keep it under wraps until the official announcement, she told RNZ’s Afternoons.
“My Dad was quite keen to tell the Bowls Club but there was a very, ‘no Dad, no, we’ve got to keep this tight’.”
Dallow warned her to be prepared when the announcement was made, she says.
“Simon had said to me, we had a really nice talk on the phone on the Friday before the Monday it was announced, and he said to me, ‘you need to be braced’ and I, probably in my typical way, was like, ‘oh yeah, whatever, I’ll be fine’.
“But it was on the day a little bit overwhelming.”
Dallow has had a formative role in her career, Stokes says.
“I talked to Simon or Wendy [Petrie] down my earpiece for many years as a reporter. And then when I wanted to get into presenting, Simon was the person that I went to because I believe he’s the best at it.
“He’s the best at the craft of news reading and I wanted to learn from the best.”
Breaking news still excites her, Stokes says.
“I really enjoy having to think on my feet or feeling like I’m treading water underneath, but being very still and composed at the top, and that’s important.”
While she’s calm at work, her home life is a different story, she says.
“I’m in a flap quite often. I’m very flappable. But behind the desk, you know, I know what I’m doing. I’m in control.”
A traditional TV news bulletin still has a valuable place in the media landscape, she says.
“You turn to 1News when you want good, fair, balanced and factual reporting. You’re not getting that from your TikTok feed or your Facebook feed.
“I guess when you watch the 6 o’clock news, you’re seeing a product that many eyes and many ears have looked at and have decided what is the most important things of the day and what you need to know.”
Stokes has been with TVNZ for more than two decades, including a stint as Europe Correspondent. She has been presenting 1News at Six on the weekends since 2019.
She will anchor the TVNZ’s main bulletin five nights a week from Sunday to Thursday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
