The Spinoff and Barkers are proud to present a new seven-part podcast series: The Get. Each week Canon award winning journalist Naomi Arnold will interview some of New Zealand’s best feature writers and news journalists about how they hunted down the biggest stories of their careers.

“I love the reporting part. I love just being on the street and talking to people, I love that so much. And I still get completely blown away that you can knock on a stranger’s door and they’ll answer it and speak to you, I just find that so crazy. And it really moves me when people open up.”

After four years as an award winning feature writer at the Waikato Times, Aimie Cronin, 34, went freelance last year. Her work has been published in Metro, Sunday Magazine, North & South and the New Zealand Listener. She writes a weekly column for Stuff Entertainment and is editor in residence at Wintec journalism school. Here she talks about some of her latest stories, leaving the Waikato Times, making freelancing work financially, going viral, what she loves about her job, and conquering her fear of the blank page.

Follow her on Twitter: @AimoCronin

You can listen to or download this episode of The Get by using the player below or by subscribing through iTunes.

Stories mentioned in this podcast:

The truck stops here, New Zealand Listener, February 2016
In God’s name: What makes Catholic schools so successful? Metro, July 2015
High anxiety: Conquering a fear of flying, Sunday, August 2015
A lifetime of sleepless nights, Sunday, February 2016
Mean girls: Inside the world of childhood friendships, Sunday, March 2016
The sandwich makers of Old Farm Rd, The Waikato Times, October 2014
The slums of Jebson Place, The Waikato Times, November 2014