New-look Fairfax without

Joan Withers' exit from Fairfax Media New Zealand is expected to coincide with a back-to-basics regime at the company, which owns half the New Zealand newspaper industry and some high-profile magazine titles.

Her departure has been tipped for several weeks, though at the start of the year she dismissed speculation she was about to leave.

Withers said her departure on June 30 - after four years running Fairfax New Zealand and a period as a director of its parent John Fairfax Holdings - had been set in stone for a long time.

Her time running the New Zealand operation has coincided with David Kirk running John Fairfax Holdings.

Withers' departure coincides with a regime change at John Fairfax Holdings and a new "back-to-basics" approach since Brian McCarthy replaced Kirk.

Under Kirk, Fairfax had expanded into digital media and invested in Trade Me. Withers was a strong supporter of business media - in particular the Independent business weekly. Increased debt coincided with a slump in advertising revenues and saw Fairfax shares fall below a dollar.

The company raised additional equity but with advertising sliding on both sides of the Tasman, Fairfax is no different from many companies moving rapidly to adjust to the economic downturn.

It is not clear yet whom McCarthy will appoint to lead its New Zealand operation, which has delivered one-third of revenue in the past.

Fairfax Media New Zealand group head of publishing Roger Shepherd has been tipped as a replacement.

Fairfax Media general manager of investor relations Frank Sufferini said McCarthy's wider restructuring of Fairfax management would be announced within two weeks.

Fairfax New Zealand senior staff were meeting in Auckland yesterday and Fairfax recently advised staff the company was losing the editor of its Sunday News, in part because of economic difficulties.