Staring down the ‘silent epidemic’ of myopia in children

Spinoff staff writer Shanti Mathias sat down to record a test pilot episode of Behind the Story two months ago, about her recent feature “Staring down the ‘silent epidemic’ of myopia in children”. Just last week, Shanti was awarded Best Emerging Journalist at the inaugural science journalism awards, for this particular story. The judges were impressed with how ‘on-the-scene’ the reporting was, including the voices of school students and the team running the vision-checking bus. A hugely deserving win and the perfect excuse to release the tapes. Shanti joins Madeleine Chapman on Behind the Story to talk about what she learned, the surprising lack of data available in New Zealand around our eyes, and some practical tips to keep your eyes stronger for longer. Stories discussed: Staring down the ‘silent epidemic’ of myopia in children Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Om Podcasten

Join The Spinoff editor Madeleine Chapman as she sits down with a staff writer or contributor to gain more insight about a big story on The Spinoff from the week.  Alongside getting the inside info, Behind the Story goes beyond the byline – enabling listeners to learn more about the amazing writers that make The Spinoff such a unique and important platform in the digital media landscape.  For The Spinoff editor’s thoughts on the week that was, as well as a handpicked collection of the week’s best reads, subscribe to The Weekend with Madeleine Chapman newsletter at thespinoff.co.nz/newsletters