Bernard Hickey has a long career in journalism and media, both in Aotearoa New Zealand and overseas. After finishing his role as managing editor of Newsroom Pro in 2020, he set up The Kākā, which provides independent commentary and insights into politics, investing and the economy with a particular focus on housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa.

The Kākā, named for one of New Zealand's native parrots, is a subscription service. To paying members, either monthly or annually, it sends out a Dawn Chorus email, Monday to Friday mornings, that provides daily insights into the news as well as the political and economical happenings both locally and globally. Members also get access to his podcast, webinars, live chats, full archive and can post comments and join the subscriber chat. Free subscribers get a summary email in their inbox once a week.

Once a week he hosts a ""Hoon"", which is a livestream webinar featuring Hickey and other regular experts guests talking about the news of the week. Under The Kākā Project, Hickey examines policy proposals made in the most recent general election, which often includes suggestions from regular contributors and subscribes. The diary section provides a weekly summary of political calendar events in New Zealand, including key forums and cabinet meetings.

Source: Project Oasis New Zealand

Last updated date: March 2026

Location:
Wellington, New Zealand
Year the organization started publishing:
2020
Languages:
English
Type of coverage:
National

Content

Editorial coverage:
Generalist, focused on multiple topics
Type of content produced by theme:
Environment
Politics
Economy and business
Health and well-being
Society and human rights
Economy and finance
Journalism industry
Journalism genres:
Interviews and reporting
Information services
Investigative journalism
Journalism coverage types and techniques:
Breaking news
Live coverage of events
Data journalism
Crowdsourcing
Solutions or constructive journalism
Explanatory journalism
Collaborative journalism
Fact-checking
Curated/aggregated content
Tech platforms and other mediums used:
Blog
Newsletter
Social media platforms
Podcast
YouTube
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn

Audience and reach

Social media audience

Facebook number of followers:
1,300
Instagram number of followers:
257
YouTube number of followers:
69

Management and team

Founders

Female:
0
Male:
1
Founders:
Bernard Hickey
Directors:
Bernard Hickey

Team

Full-time employees:
1
Part-time employees:
0
Freelancers or consultants:
0
Volunteers:
0

Business structure and revenue sources

Organization tax status:
For-profit
The primary source of revenue reported by media leaders:
Products and ecommerce
The second most important revenue source reported:
Products and ecommerce

Why is this profile included?

This media outlet is part of our directory because it meets SembraMedia’s inclusion criteria: it produces original content, serves the public interest, and works with independence and transparency. This profile was developed using information provided directly by the media outlet, through surveys or interviews. We aim to keep the information current, but SembraMedia does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness, and recommends verifying any key details with the media organization.

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