Melissa Stokes
Newsreader, Reporter
A love of talking, meeting people and "always wanting to know why" led Melissa Stokes into journalism. While studying at NZ Broadcasting School, she landed an internship and then a job at Prime News' Christchurch office in 1999. In 2001 Stokes moved to Breakfast as its Christchurch reporter, and in 2004 she headed to Auckland to report for TV One's 6pm bulletin. From 2006 to 2008, she was 1 News' Europe Correspondent based in London, covering stories such as the conflicts in Israel and Syria. Stokes began presenting across several TVNZ news shows in 2010, and in 2019 became the anchor of 1 News' 6pm weekend bulletins.
I only ever remember wanting to be two things in life — a pilot or a journalist. I have absolutely no head for any of the things needed to keep a plane in the air, so a love of talking, meeting people, being pretty nosy and always wanting to know why led to a career in journalism. Melissa Stokes in June 2020
