Short Bio

Nicky Hager is an author and investigative journalist based in Wellington, New Zealand. He has written four best-selling books. divides his time between investigative writing and freelance feature writing. He has specialised in investigating hard-to-document subjects, such as military and intelligence agencies and public relations activities and he unseen sides of politics. 

His 1996 book, Secret Power, New Zealand’s role in the international spy network, revealed and described the western intelligence system called Echelon. Based on interviews with intelligence officers and fieldwork in several countries, the book created international news and led to a year-long investigation into Echelon by the European Parliament. 

His 1999 book, Secrets and Lies, the anatomy of an anti-environmental PR campaign, co-authored by Australian journalist Bob Burton, was based on internal PR papers and documented the techniques used by PR companies to manufacture political support for their clients and to undermine their clients’ opponents. 

His 2002 book Seeds of Distrust was based on public service and company documentation and was a case study of government processes and industry lobbying under the Labour Government. In 2006 he published The Hollow Men, a study in the politics of deception, a detailed expose of three years politics within the New Zealand National Party. This book, which prompted the resignation of the party leader on the day it was released, has since been adapted into a successful stage play and feature-length documentary film.

Since 2002 Nicky Hager has been the New Zealand representative of the Washington-based Corsortium of Investigative Journalists (http://www.icij.org/). He also regularly lectures on investigative journalism to university journalism students and speaks widely on a range of subjects.