Rosie Leishman is a chip off the old block. The daughter of beloved Kiwi broadcaster Mark, the multitalented 22-year-old is currently based in Christchurch, where she is a reporter and multimedia journalist for Newstalk ZB.
“I love the fast-paced world of radio,” Rosie tells Woman’s Day.
“Talking to people is one of my favourite things to do. I’m so lucky to have got the job as I didn’t have any radio experience when I started and ZB is an amazing crash course.”
Sharing Rosie’s delight, dad Mark is proud as punch that his talented daughter is doing so well.
“All three of our kids are great talkers, but Rosie’s probably the most chatty,” Mark says with a smile.
“And she’s getting a great grounding at ZB – learning good lessons from some of the best in the business.”
Mark says his wife Jo Raymond, a respected TV producer, has a similarly sparkling personality.
“Which makes me the quietest of our family, but I like to listen and take it all in,” Mark says.
“Sometimes I joke that I don’t speak unless I’m being paid!”
Finding her own path
Rosie chimes in, “Dad’s such an easy broadcaster to listen to. When I’d hear him on The Breeze, he was all about that cruisy, music-station vibe. People were always recognising him from TV too, for things like Wonder Dogs. But his TV era was before I was born, so I never fully understood the significance. “I just knew him as our dad, who drummed on the steering wheel, took us on trips and played Happy Birthday to my friends on air.”
Even though Rosie loved listening to her dad on the radio, her eyes were on a different prize.
“I was obsessed with movies in my teens,” Rosie recalls.
“With music and pop culture, anything to do with Taylor Swift. Back then, my dream was to go to drama school in the UK and be a Shakespearean actor. “But I was also a Covid kid, so I didn’t get to graduate or do my Arts Prefect speech, which is why I turned to journalling because it helped me process all the emotions I was feeling.”
This is partly how Rosie discovered a talent for the written word.
She shares, “When I showed my English teacher some of my writing, she said, ‘Rosie, you’re a writer – this is something you can pursue.’ I also decided I wanted something more stable than acting. Seeing my brother Paddy being a musician and my sister Molly being an actor also had an impact as those paths can be hard, which is why I pivoted to journalism.”
Finding her feet
As the youngest of three high achievers – Molly now works as a creative designer in Los Angeles with some of the biggest names in entertainment, while Paddy works in music in London as a designer and editor – another important factor in Rosie’s personal growth was leaving Auckland.
“I knew I wanted to go to Canterbury to study journalism,” Rosie explains.
“And I really wanted to be in a hall where I knew no one, to make friends with people from all over the country.”
Mark adds, “Rosie landed at a sporty hostel. She settled in seamlessly, and went from drama kid to someone who became passionate about running and fitness. No one at the hostel even knew she could sing or act until she landed a part in the film We Were Dangerous and was going to location every day over winter of that first year. All her hostel mates were so surprised!”
Although she still enjoys acting, Rosie is now full of enthusiasm for telling real- life stories on radio.
“At ZB, I do two shifts – 5am to 1pm and 10am to 7pm – and in the mornings, I’m assigned stories to cut that are then played in the news bulletins,” Rosie explains. “My heart beats so fast when it’s coming up to the news, but I know if I do it well and in good time, my story could be the lead.”
Right where she belongs
Clearly thriving on the fast pace of the newsroom, Rosie is still surprised at how her life is panning out.
Rosie declares, “If you’d told me a year ago I’d be working for ZB, I wouldn’t have believed you. But now I’m here, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. “In the afternoon, I chase breaking news by going to media stand-ups, protests and strikes, where I get audio for the next day. And I love interviewing people who are doing things that matter, from firefighters to senior doctors.”
She also loves having no idea what the day will bring.
“I cover everything from politics and sustainability, to entertainment and Ma¯ori issues” she enthuses.
When it comes to the guidance they offer their youngest, Mark and Jo have kept it simple.
Mark says, “Encouraging our children to show kindness and gratitude is top of our parental advice list. Along with being interested in other people’s lives and engaging well with adults – and Rosie certainly does all those!”
