NZME confirms closure of 14 community newspapers before Christmas
Thursday, 5 December 2024
Media company NZME has confirmed 14 community newspapers will close before Christmas.
The closures included the Te Awamutu Courier, whose history stretches back 114 years. It would be gone within three weeks, alongside 13 other North Island titles.
The closure, announced on Thursday, would mean a loss of 29 jobs across newsrooms, sales and operations.
NZME CEO Michael Boggs said a decline in advertising revenue and significant increases in distribution costs meant the papers were no longer financially viable.
Read this story in te reo Māori and English here. / Pānuitia tēnei i te reo Māori me te reo Pākehā ki konei.
“These newspapers have been a huge part of their local communities for many, many years and we know this will be sad news not only for our team but for our readers and our advertising clients in those communities,” Boggs said.
He said the difficult decision was made following consultation with the NZME team, taking on external feedback from MPs, mayors, local businesses and readers.
Boggs said the company had been contacted by several people expressing interest in purchasing individual publications and would liaise with those people in the coming days.
“On behalf of everyone at NZME I want to say a heartfelt thanks to our exceptional team who has served our community network and thank them for their commitment, efforts and dedication to serving their local communities.
“Thank you also to our loyal customers and readers for their support.”
All of the community papers were North Island titles, and they were expected to be closed before Christmas this year. This would leave some regions without a source of local news.
The papers to be closed include the century-old Te Awamutu Courier, as well as the Hauraki-Coromandel Post, Katikati Advertiser, Te Puke Times, Taupō & Tūrangi Herald, Napier Courier, Hastings Leader, Hawke’s Bay’s CHB Mail, Stratford Press, Tararua’s Bush Telegraph, Whanganui Midweek, Manawatū Guardian, Horowhenua Chronicle and Kāpiti News.
Only two of the company’s free titles will remain - The Waikato Herald, which is inserted within the NZ Herald, and the Weekend Sun in Bay of Plenty. Rural publication Coast & Country News was also unaffected.
The closure of the NZME papers is the latest blow to the media industry, with Newshub shutting down earlier this year and TVNZ carrying out multiple rounds of cuts.