Open House (from the Listener 19/7/1976)
YOU NEVER MEET a parliamentary press gallery man — or woman — who isn't dedicated to the job. fascinated by the material and hooked into the way of life. Eleanor Roy, a senior political reporter for TV2, has been in the game since 1971 and, although she has to put in some gruelling hours, she wouldn't switch.
Eleanor was born in Southland where her family are farming. She didn't see much of country life, though, from the time she went away to boarding school and then on to Canterbury University where she graduated BA in English and History. She was a secondary-school teacher round the south and in Central Otago for a time before joining the NZBC In 1971.
Fairly early on she began to specialise In political reporting for both radio and television, and joined the press gallery the same year. She is strict about keeping her limited leisure time quite separate from her job and to relax, enjoys reading more than most pastimes-Perhaps it is her training as a teacher that influences Miss Roy's cnsp, no-nonsense delivery of back-ground on the latest legislative developments.
Her main impression of the way this democracy is run is its openness, in that politicians are so available to the public. People feel free to stomp through Parliament Buildings in hoards. demanding to see cabinet ministers on the spot. Overseas journalists are staggered at the informality of our system and I think Its the great strength of New Zealand politics.
Comments powered by CComment