Stuff faces regional mayor push to pause newsroom cuts

Stuff Group announced plans in September to streamline newsgathering operations to improve the sustainability of its regional news coverage. The proposal now faces pressure from local government leaders who argue the cuts will weaken local reporting capacity. The publisher stated that the changes follow the 2022 creation of regional reporting hubs, a model where on-duty journalists cover neighboring regions when local newsrooms are short-staffed.

The current proposal targets specialist reporting and production roles in five specific regions: Manawatū, Wairarapa, Nelson, Timaru, and Southland. The union E tū estimates that up to 18 newsroom positions are at risk under this plan. The organization described the proposed reductions as an existential threat to the media ecosystem, noting that many districts would be left with only two reporters and a single photographer covering entire regions.

Mat Danaher, E tū's assistant national secretary, criticized the plan for removing key staff while maintaining the same number of print pages and publication days. He stated that the company plans to keep every page while getting rid of the people who fill them. The union noted that all but one regional print producer are proposed for removal, a role it described as the last line of defense against errors before publication.

Local political leaders have voiced concern about the impact of these changes on their communities. Nelson Mayor Nick Smith acknowledged the financial pressures on the publisher but urged a search for a way to maintain critical mass in the newsroom. The Nelson Mail has been published four days a week since 2017 and lost reporting staff during the 2022 restructure.

Palmerston North Mayor Grant Smith called for Stuff to retain journalists at the Manawatū Standard, emphasizing that local knowledge and physical presence cannot be easily replaced by remote coverage. Amanda Linsley, chief executive of the Manawatū Business Chamber, added that reducing the visual team to one person would inevitably lead to less local coverage. She highlighted that local photos and videos help residents feel connected to community events.

Warwick Smith, a visual journalist for the Manawatū Standard, shared his experience of working alone for six months in the past. He said the period nearly broke him because he could not be in two places at once, causing stories to be missed. E tū members at TVNZ are scheduled to walk off the job from 1pm to 2pm tomorrow in a separate industrial action, though the two issues are distinct.

A Stuff spokesperson told Mediawatch that the company is still working through the process with its people and will not comment further at this stage. The group employs about 300 journalists and publishes 13 daily and weekly newspapers. A spokeswoman told The New Zealand Herald earlier this month that the company must evaluate the sustainability of local newsrooms as production technology becomes more efficient.

Stuff sought feedback from staff until October 13 and said it would carefully consider the responses before making final decisions. The company also called on central and local governments to evaluate their role in supporting local journalism as newspaper costs rise. Recently, Stuff launched 18 free-to-view local Neighbourly News websites featuring stories from journalists, readers, and other local sources.

E tū claimed that Stuff is giving away news for free through Neighbourly News while attempting to attract subscribers to paywalled sites for The Post, The Press, and Waikato Times. The union's open letter addressed Sinead Boucher, the Stuff Group chief executive who bought the company from Nine in 2020. Danaher said journalists have offered to work with the company on a new plan for regional news, urging Stuff to drop the current cuts and keep local reporters in local towns.