Inside the newsroom

You never see her name in the paper, but her influence is felt in almost every story you read. Joanna Rix – or Joe as she's known, a relic of her childhood nod to how George from Nancy Drew was a girl with a boy's name – is chief news director at The Dominion Post, which means she runs the daily news operations.

She joined us last year from the print production team, where she oversaw the publication of 45 daily and community newspapers, and previously edited the Your Weekend insert. She's also the most organised person I know.

What’s the most rewarding thing about your job?

Being able to make a difference and shepherd change – whether it's for our readers, the people we tell stories about, or our fantastic team of reporters. And you can't beat the adrenaline rush of being in a newsroom when a big story breaks!

What do you miss most about your home country, South Africa?

Of course the people, but I didn't realise how much I'd miss the wildlife. Getting woken by the loud, nasal calls of hadedas. Elephants, giraffes, zebras, baboons, impala and even rhinos silhouetted against a vibrant sunset as they drink at a game park watering hole just an hour from home. Feeding dassies in our backyard. I don't miss the snakes and mosquitos though.

What’s your Wellington happy place?

Pick a beach, any beach! Growing up in landlocked Pretoria, then living and working in landlocked Johannesburg before moving here, I can never get enough of the ocean. The many moods of Wellington Harbour still raise my spirits every morning as I come though Ngāūranga Gorge.