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Finn Blackwell on Muck Rack

Finn Blackwell

Verified
(He/Him)
Auckland
As seen in: Radio New Zealand (RNZ), MSN New Zealand, Manawatū Standard, Stuff.co.nz, The Marlborough Express, The Nelson Mail, The Southland Times, The Timaru Herald, Flipboard, Cooking the Books with Frances Cook, Today in Business (Podcast) and
Covers:  Crime, Social Issues, Auckland Issues
I write things. Reporter for RNZ. Screaming into the void since 2018. finn.blackwell@rnz.co.nz. Views are my own

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Finn Blackwell’s Biography

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Driven news reporter working as an audio and written journalist focused on producing electronic and radio publications. Successful at making a lasting impact in local news coverage. Flexible in working with a variety of individuals and guiding staff to consistently improve their writing through collaboration and engagement.

Finn Blackwell’s Journalist Portfolio

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RNZ investigation finds uranium, lead in black-market tobacco

RNZ investigation finds uranium, lead in black-market tobacco

Black-market cigarettes sold in Auckland have even more harmful chemicals than regular smokes, including high…

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Sister speaks after brother's cold case disappearance is reopened

Sister speaks after brother's cold case disappearance is reopened

The sister of a man missing for 35 years hopes his children can have closure.

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Family found body of Tekanimaeu Arobati, man swept away by Mahurangi River

Family found body of Tekanimaeu Arobati, man swept away by Mahurangi River

There was three days of dedicated searching by authorities, but eventually it was Tekanimaeu Arobati's family…

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Education ministry failure meant murdered children's disappearance went unnoticed for years

Education ministry failure meant murdered children's disappearance went unnoticed for years

Yuna and Minu Jo were found in suitcases after being murdered by their mother.

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Man charged after allegedly swallowing a pendant at an Auckland jewellers

Man charged after allegedly swallowing a pendant at an Auckland jewellers

Police say the pendant is yet to be recovered.

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How a forensic pathologist deals with death: 'It's their chance to tell us their story'

How a forensic pathologist deals with death: 'It's their chance to tell us their story'

"A lot of people envision us in dimly lit, creepy mortuaries" - a forensic pathologist in Christchurch says m…

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Articles

'Make them suffer': Murder co-conspirator testifies in Ellerslie trial

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By Finn Blackwell Verified
| 1News Verified
Why would a man agree to kill a couple he'd never met? By Finn Blackwell of RNZ That was what Crown prosecutors asked Shu Man Poon, who earlier pleaded guilty to the murders of an Auckland couple in 2023. His former co-defendant Lok Fung Lorrence Li was on trial in the High Court at Auckland, accused of murdering Fuk-Fu Joseph Kwok and Mei Han Chong in their Ellerslie home. He had also pleaded not guilty to conspiring to murder his former landlord with Poon.
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Man who raised thousands claiming he was dying of cancer wasn’t sick

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By Finn Blackwell Verified
| 1News Verified
A coroner has found a man who raised thousands of dollars claiming to have terminal cancer did not have the disease when he died by suicide. By Finn Blackwell of RNZ Warning: This story discusses suicide. Douglas 'Doug' Ruch was a 56-year-old US National who arrived in New Zealand just days before his death. He gained media attention claiming to have terminal prostate cancer and fundraising to travel and do volunteer work.
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Man who raised thousands claiming to be dying of cancer wasn't ill, death ruled suicide - Coroner

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By Finn Blackwell Verified
| Radio New Zealand (RNZ) Verified
A coroner has found a man who raised thousands of dollars claiming to have terminal cancer did not have the disease when he died by suicide. Douglas 'Doug' Ruch was a 56-year-old US National who arrived in New Zealand just days before his death. He gained media attention claiming to have terminal prostate cancer and fundraising to travel and do volunteer work. Ruch's campaign, 'DyingToServe', featured in a number of outlets including The Guardian, NBC, and The Washington Post.
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Interview

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What was your first job as a journalist?

I worked for the Wellington University Student magazine 'Salient' as the lead correspondent

Have you ever used a typewriter?

Yup! I have an old Brother typewriter from 1960s

How is social media changing news?

It's making it far more accessible, but also far more important as it combats things such as misinformation (also spread by social media)