Media Insider: Newshub Nation presenter joins NBR; All Blacks’ comms boss quits

Newshub Nation hosts Simon Shepherd and Rebecca Wright; All Blacks media communications manager Matt Manukia. Photos / Three, Lynne Cameron

Big movements in the business and sports media worlds, with a well-known Newshub face finding a new role and the All Blacks’ communications manager departing.

Experienced Newshub presenter and business journalist Simon Shepherd has found a new home at the National Business Review (NBR).

Shepherd – who has hosted Newshub Nation for the past five years, alongside Rebecca Wright – will join the NBR in late July, three weeks after the closure of Three’s news service.

It is a fluid time for business journalists – another experienced and highly respected business journalist, Maria Slade, joined BusinessDesk this week from NBR while Brent Melville went the other way, joining NBR from BusinessDesk last month.

Newshub's Simon Shepherd is bound for the NBR.

Major media companies are certainly snapping up some of Newshub’s biggest names ahead of its final bulletin on Friday, July 5.

Samantha Hayes, Jenna Lynch, Lisette Reymer and a host of other names are heading to Stuff as it prepares to take over the contract for the 6pm news on Three.

Great mates Ryan Bridge and Mike McRoberts have new roles lined up after the closure of Newshub.

Ryan Bridge and Michael Morrah are moving to NZME, as Newstalk ZB host and NZ Herald senior investigative reporter respectively.

Mike McRoberts is also heading to NBR as Te Ao Māori editor.

NBR said that Shepherd, who has more than 30 years’ broadcasting experience, would help it launch a new business podcast focusing on chief executives, other high-profile leaders, entrepreneurs, and politicians.

Shepherd described it as a “fantastic” opportunity.

“Business is the backbone of New Zealand and there are so many key players to talk to.

“The country is facing some huge issues and there are great conversations to be had and uncomfortable questions to ask. I can’t wait to ask them.”

Shepherd has been at Newshub and 3News for the past 22 years, reporting for high-profile programmes such as 60 Minutes and Campbell Live, and presenting 3News weekend bulletins and Newshub Nation.

NBR editor-in-chief - strategy Grant Walker said NBR continued to expand its team. “Simon has shown throughout his career he is not afraid to ask the difficult questions and we look forward, as I’m sure our member subscribers are, to both listening and viewing Simon’s weekly offerings.”

All Blacks media man steps down

The All Blacks’ season kicks off under new coach Scott Robertson in just over six weeks and New Zealand Rugby (NZR) is on the hunt for a new media manager.

All Blacks communications manager Matt Manukia is stepping down from the role after two years.

On the face of it, and for the uninitiated, it is one of the most desirable jobs in PR – working alongside one of the world’s best-known and most successful sports teams and dealing with the demands of a wide range of media.

In reality, it’s an all-consuming role, balancing the requests of journalists with other demands on professional players – not least of all the high-performance and commercial requirements.

Toss in an insane amount of travel – even when the All Blacks are playing domestically – and it’s an intoxicating but relentlessly busy role.

All Blacks communications manager Matt Manukia is stepping down from the role.

Manukia, a former TVNZ reporter, has juggled all those responsibilities, including a full-on Rugby World Cup year in 2023, with aplomb – but has now made the call to spend more time with his young family. He and his wife have four children, aged 11, 9, 6 and 2.

They’re at an age when they’re increasingly noticing Dad isn’t home.

While Manukia has loved the All Blacks role, he says he’s also come to the realisation of the sacrifice of another season on the road with the team.

He’s worked with Ian Foster over the last two years and was all lined up for Robertson’s first season. He had advised Robertson of his decision and says the new coach immediately asked after his family.

Under the new Robertson regime, it will be interesting to see whether the media (and by extension, the public) get more access. By all accounts, Manukia made inroads in this area in his time with the team.

Manukia is respected in sports departments around the country, even when he has had to deliver the bad news that an All Black might be unavailable for an interview.

The communications role is easily one that can institutionalise an individual, but Manukia steps away on his terms, and with a couple of potential projects on the horizon, aligned with his proud Tongan heritage, and perhaps setting up his own business.

Toby Robson will step into the communications role in the interim, handling the Steinlager series - All Blacks v England (two tests) and All Blacks v Fiji – in July.

New NZR comms boss

The All Blacks media role reports directly to NZR’s chief communications officer, Paul Stevens.

Stevens was recently appointed to the role after what Media Insider understands was a highly competitive process involving external candidates.

As Media Insider reported in February, there’s been a major shake-up of roles at NZR over the past six months.

NZR’s broadcast and media rights general manager Ged Mahoney and chief communications and brand officer Charlotte McLauchlan left in February and late last year respectively.

Two other senior female leaders also left NZR recently – Claire Beard left in February as head of women’s rugby while chief people, safety and wellbeing officer Andrea Brunner joined Southern Cross as chief operating officer in April.

The departure of three highly regarded senior women in relatively quick succession - McLauchlan and Brunner were on the NZR executive – has certainly raised eyebrows in some quarters.

The union has previously said they are all unrelated.

Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.