Elizabeth BeattieElizabeth Beattie

Elizabeth Beattie is a New Zealand-born, Melbourne-based writer. In her spare time she likes doing photography and she still can’t decide how she feels about having a fringe.

Five classic New Zealand TV theme songs, reviewed!

by

From House of Cards’ sinister trumpets to The Fresh Prince’s iconic rap, TV theme tunes are powerful signifiers and also, just occasionally, standalone hits superior even to the show they prelude. Elizabeth Beattie examines five of New Zealand’s television theme songs to sift the cultural gold from the mud. We can tell a lot about … Read more

‘Don’t listen to anyone who tells you what you do isn’t important’: One year into the job, rookie news reporters tell all

by

With newsrooms in a state of flux and old-fashioned news values losing out to Facebook algorithms and snackable content, it’s no wonder young journalists enter the industry with some trepidation. But how much of that worry is justified? Elizabeth Beattie talks to a group of newbie reporters to find out. Last year I and 26 … Read more

Trial by Twitter – how social media has made juries of us all

by

Few of us can refrain from speculation when faced with a crime story like Making a Murderer and Serial – or Mark Lundy or David Bain. Elizabeth Beattie talks to New Zealand legal experts about the influence of social media on our most high profile trials. Had a conversation about Teresa Halbach’s RAV4 lately? What about Adnan … Read more

Throwback Thursday – 22 years on, Once Were Warriors is as relevant as ever

by

Once Were Warriors, released in 1994, shocked the world with brutal scenes of domestic violence, suicide and rape. As director Lee Tamahori prepares for the release of his first New Zealand film since that break-out hit, Elizabeth Beattie looks back at the New Zealand it depicted and asks, how much has really changed? Trigger Warning: … Read more