Taupō's only remaining community newspaper is the Taupō and Tūrangi Herald, as the Taupō Times has announced its closure.
Taupō's only remaining community newspaper is the Taupō and Tūrangi Herald, as the Taupō Times has announced its closure.
Newsgroup Stuff will no longer print the Taupō Times.
A brief statement in the June 28 edition of the community newspaper confirmed it would be the last.
“This is the last issue of the Taupō Times. Stuff has decided to stop printing a physical paper for Taupō,” part of the notice said.
Stuff Masthead Publishing managing director Joanna Norris told the Taupō and Tūrangi Heraldthe move was part of a review into the company’s community and regional mastheads.
“This has resulted in the launch of new mastheads including the Waikato Local Te Pūtahi and acquisition of others; the merger of some community newspapers where footprints were overlapping or unwieldy; and the closure of a small number of titles, including the weekly Taupō Times.
“The way audiences consume local news is changing, as we have seen with the increasing reach of our flagship national daily The Post and the successful launch of its digital subscription model just over a year ago.
Stuff has closed its community newspaper Taupō Times.
“We want to deliver local news in the formats that suit our audiences and customers best, while ensuring each title is sustainable and aligned to advertiser needs.
“The final Taupō Times newspapers were distributed last week.
“Taupō news has instead transferred into The Post, which has a strong and growing local subscriber base.
“No editorial roles are affected by this change and there are no job losses associated with it.”
The Taupō Times had been in print since the 1950s, when the Taupō District’s population was just over 3000.
During that time, it covered the area’s significant stories, from the 1996 Ruapehu eruption to the Covid-19 pandemic and Cyclone Gabrielle, as well as highlighting community causes.
Taupō District Mayor David Trewavas said it was sad to see the newspaper close.
“The Taupō Times was an institution in our community for many years and captured our local stories, our triumphs and our challenges.
“Its recent closure marks the end of an era and I’d like to extend my gratitude to the dedicated journalists, editors and staff who kept us informed and connected over the years.”
The news comes during a period of turbulence across the New Zealand media landscape, with Stuff also shuttering its last two Northland community titles in recent weeks and the Hauraki Herald in March.
Newshub’s TV Three bulletin ends on July 6, in tandem with its website and app shutting.
Milly Fullick is a journalist based in Taupō. She joined the Taupō & Tūrangi Herald team in 2022.
