Abigail Dougherty | Terror in the Garden City

When the call came in about a mass shooting, visual journalist Abigail Dougherty jumped on the first plane to Christchurch. The images she captured powerfully communicated the sorrow of New Zealand’s darkest day.

As Abigail Dougherty prepared to clock off for the week, a call came in about a mass shooting in Christchurch. Put on the next flight with nothing but her camera, her task was to capture the anguish of what would later be known as New Zealand’s darkest day.

Abigail’s heart-wrenching photos and videos for Stuff in the aftermath of the mosque terror attack captured the horror of what occurred that day, providing a visceral accompaniment to reports of the shockwaves it was sending through the community.

In this conversation with broadcaster and media chaplain Rev Frank Ritchie, Abigail recounts her surreal, emotional coverage of March 15, how she manages covering traumatic events, and how an unexpected trip to Papua New Guinea gave her a start in visual journalism.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details