Barbara Dreaver was born and spent her early childhood in Kiribati, moving with her family to Aotearoa at the age of ten. After gaining a Bachelor of Arts from Auckland University and a Certificate in Journalism from Manukau Institute of Technology’s Pacific Island Journalism Course, she worked in the Cook Islands, exposing widespread government scandals and corruption. In 1998, she returned to New Zealand, reporting for New Zealand Listener, National Business Review and Radio New Zealand. In 2002, she joined Television New Zealand and since 2003 has been its Pacific correspondent. In 2019, Barbara Dreaver won multiple awards at the Voyager Media Awards for her coverage of the deadly Samoan measles outbreak. She was named Reporter of the Year at the 2022 New Zealand Television Awards and in 2024 became an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for Investigative Journalism and Services to Pacific Communities.

Barbara Dreaver Instagram

Barbara Dreaver TikTok