User Profile

Farah Hancock

Farah Hancock is a Newsroom reporter who covers environment, biodiversity and science.

Election 2020

Greens announce plan for ‘Thriving Oceans’

Protecting 30 percent of our oceans by 2030 was one of a raft of marine plans announced by the Green Party.

Farah Hancock

9 minutes ago

environment

Managing our waste problem up for debate

It was trash talk of a constructive nature during a political debate about the country’s waste problem, including a hike in landfill levies hoped to fund better waste infrastructure.

Farah Hancock

9 minutes ago

Election 2020

Campaign social media spending ramps up

After a long period spending very little on Facebook advertising, Labour splashed out promoting its income tax policy last week.

Farah Hancock

Sep 17 2020

Covid-19

NZ’s $10m local vaccine punt

Vaccine trials for international vaccines could take place in NZ. This might help secure access to vaccines in global hot demand.

Farah Hancock

Sep 16 2020

environment

A case against exporting live animals

The sinking of a live export cattle ship has thrust the debate about live exports into the limelight and transformed one farmer from exporter to critic.

Farah Hancock

Sep 15 2020

environment

Double disappointment for conservationists

Mining decisions in the Coromandel have disappointed conservationists and exposed cracks in coalition relations.

Farah Hancock

Sep 11 2020

Week in Review

National spent $30k on FB ‘likes’ for Collins

National has spent almost $30,000 getting people to ‘like’ Judith Collins’ Facebook page. Farah Hancock continues her look at politicians’ Facebook advertisement spending.

Farah Hancock

Sep 10 2020

Covid-19

Wednesday’s Covid-19 numbers charted

Latest charts on Covid-19 in NZ and the world, including stats on active cases, quarantine capacity and economic impact,

Farah Hancock

Sep 09 2020

Week in Review

Aussie billionaire’s permits on DoC land

While the no new mines on conservation land promise has languished, one of Australia’s most litigious mining magnates has secured permits covering conservation land.

Farah Hancock

Sep 09 2020

Covid-19

The scramble for vaccine frontrunners

Politely it’s been described as “vaccine nationalism”. Others see it as hoarding. Who has dibs on the first doses of Covid-19 vaccine and how quickly can phase three trials be run?

Farah Hancock

Sep 04 2020

Politics

Election 2020: The gender advertising split

Which party is trying to gain your vote? Facebook advertising shows a split between the gender of people who have seen ads

Farah Hancock

Sep 03 2020

Week in Review

What reinfections could mean for the pandemic

Eight confirmed Covid-19 reinfections have been reported in the past few days, raising questions about how reinfections will affect taming the pandemic.

Farah Hancock

Sep 01 2020

Covid-19

Vaccines and the ethics of aborted foetus cells

The ethical debate around cell lines from aborted foetuses has reignited with some religious leaders in Australia saying they’ll boycott any Covid-19 vaccine that uses them.

Farah Hancock

Aug 31 2020

Election 2020

What parties are spending on Facebook

Facebook’s Ad Library opens a window into what advertisements political parties are running on Facebook and Instagram.

Farah Hancock

Aug 27 2020

Covid-19

Convalescent sera: Trump’s magic blood

What is convalescent sera and how does the evidence behind the US’s emergency use authorisation stack up?

Farah Hancock

Aug 25 2020

Newsroom

One new community case of Covid-19

Today’s total of three new Covid-19 cases includes one household contact of a member of the Auckland cluster and two international arrivals.

Farah Hancock

Aug 23 2020

Covid-19

Three people in Middlemore’s ICU

Two more people with Covid-19 have been shifted to Middlemore’s ICU since yesterday, bringing the total to three patients.

Farah Hancock

Aug 22 2020

Election 2020

Election 2020: The social media popularity race

Politicians have until October 17 to turn likes, shares, retweets and social media followers into votes on election day. Newsroom will be taking a weekly look at how parties and politicians are using and performing on social media platforms.

Farah Hancock

Aug 21 2020

Covid-19

Time to look at quarantine back-up

Housing people involved in the current outbreak of Covid-19 in Auckland’s only quarantine facility raises the question of what happens when there no room at the inn.

Farah Hancock

Aug 20 2020

Covid-19

Covid-19 and the great ventilation debate

Some senior students will be returning to Auckland classrooms this week, but with new cases announced daily should we be taking health measures including masks and a precautionary approach to ventilation?

Farah Hancock

Aug 19 2020