South Island news publisher Crux ceases production, goes into ‘hibernation’

Saturday, 2 November 2024

Crux, the Southern Lakes news platform, has announced it will cease publication with immediate effect, marking a significant blow to local journalism in the region.

Managing editor Peter Newport made the announcement at the Queenstown Writers Festival during a panel discussion on the future of journalism on Saturday.

'Today I have got some sad news that I will have to put Crux into hibernation until the situation gets better,' he said.

For six and a half years, Crux had been dedicated to delivering robust local news coverage to a growing audience, Newport wrote in an article on the Crux website.

However, the platform had encountered insurmountable challenges in its business model, which relies on diverse revenue streams, including government support, advertising and audience contributions.

The decision to go into 'hibernation' came during a broader crisis affecting New Zealand's news media landscape, highlighted by the closure of outlets like Newshub and Today FM, as well as cutbacks at TVNZ, Newport said.

The situation in regional media was particularly dire, as smaller outlets lack the scale necessary to thrive in the competitive digital advertising market, he added.

“Crux has been brave and bold. The prime minister is on the record as telling struggling news media to innovate, and as managing editor of Crux I can proudly say my team have tried, tested and implemented every single type of digital publishing innovation.”

Crux had also prided itself on its commitment to investigative journalism, which is increasingly rare in regional publications.

Despite recent successes in expanding its readership in Dunedin, the platform found sustainable revenue from local audiences alone was not viable.

Newport revealed that Crux received no funding from local councils, contrasting sharply with many legacy newspapers that rely heavily on such support.

He expressed concerns about the future of independent journalism, warning that without sufficient funding, public interest journalism is at risk of extinction in New Zealand’s regions.

The hope for Crux lies in the formation of a regional news network, which Newport believes would enhance sustainability by connecting multiple digital news hubs across the country.

As the platform transitions into hibernation, Newport urged the community to subscribe to their Substack channel to stay updated on their ongoing efforts and investigations.