Alistar Kata has been a reporter for Tagata Pasifika since 2016.  She is Cook Island/ Maori (Ngapuhi), hailing from the villages of Vaipae and Tautu in Aitutaki.

Alistar found her love for journalism at high school, fascinated with the way media shapes and influences its audiences.   She graduated with a Bachelor of Communication Studies at AUT in 2013, then spent her Honours year studying media in Aarhus, Denmark.

In 2015 she was the recipient of both the Spasifik Magazine Prize and Storyboard Award for Diversity Reporting, and the Radio New Zealand International Award for Asia-Pacific Journalism.  Alistar also worked as the producer of Pacific Media Network’s 531pi breakfast show in 2018.

She has a particular interest in reporting on the social issues affecting Pacific people in New Zealand, delving into stories about housing, health, climate change and poverty.  This year she joined the team at Fair Go and we have the pleasure of having Star on the show with us.