Publishers of The Wairoa Star, a paid-for publication published twice weekly on Tuesday and Thursday, told shareholders on Tuesday that this Thursday’s paper would be its last.
Wairoa Star chairman Matt Wilson said a mix of inflationary pressures and high interest rates contributed to a tough economic environment and the board had “exhausted all options” trying to keep the paper afloat.
“Despite best efforts to control costs wherever possible, business revenue continued to decline over the last 12 months. We therefore had to make the very difficult decision to close the Wairoa Star, having exhausted all options available to us in our attempts to retain it,” Wilson said.
In March, shareholders were told that the paper suffered a $74,000 loss in 2023. They were also informed of some of the challenges facing the business, such as the “changing media landscape” that is seeing readers and advertisers shift to social media or search-based technology such as Facebook and Google.
The business will cease trading, pay creditors, pay employee entitlements, and refund subscribers who have paid in advance. Assets, including The Wairoa Star building, will also be sold. Net proceeds after costs will be returned to shareholders based on their holdings.
“On behalf of The Wairoa Star board, I’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to The Wairoa Star team for their significant contribution, acknowledging their huge efforts in keeping the business operating in what has been a very challenging economic environment,” Wilson said.
“The Wairoa Star has proudly served its local community for more than 100 years and its closure is extremely sad for the team, our board, our readers, subscribers, advertisers and the local community. We thank you all for your support.”
Wairoa Mayor Craig Little said the publication was an “absolute institution” for Wairoa and was well known in New Zealand and worldwide.
“Even when I was in London, my mother used to mail over cuttings from the paper.”
Little said it was a “very sad day” for the community as it lost one of its key communication sources.
“It is a great way of getting Wairoa’s news out there. Some great stories come out of Wairoa.
“I just really feel for the staff. They are good people there. They do a lot of good things, like taking passport photos and photocopying as well. We will miss it, that’s for sure.”
Little also hoped that there would be some way for the outlet to continue to have a presence.
“It’s a wonderful paper and there might be someone out there who looks at it and says, ‘Actually, that could fit into my business, and maybe I could carry this paper on’.”
The Wairoa Star newspaper will publish its final issue this week after the business became unsustainable. Photo / NZME
The Wairoa Star was first published on September 23, 1921, from a Delhi St premises.
It is now in Marine Parade and is also a commercial printing firm with a retail commercial stationery and gift store and a dedicated design and copy centre and photo kiosk business.
Its shareholders are NZ Herald publisher NZME (40.4 per cent), the Gisborne Herald (22.5 per cent) and a string of individuals. NZME also recently purchased the nearby Gisborne Herald as it looked to bolster its regional network.
The final edition of the Star will be this Thursday and the retail store at 176 Marine Parade will close in the coming weeks.
It’s been a turbulent time for the New Zealand media sector, as closures and cuts have continued to sweep the country, leaving many publications and outlets facing uncertain futures.
The Health Media - which publishes New Zealand Doctor and Pharmacy Today and employs a team of 23 fulltime and part-time staff, as well as a stable of contributors, will cease trading later this year.
Government-owned broadcaster TVNZ has announced plans to cut more than 60 jobs, and at the end of February, Warner Bros Discovery, owner of Newshub, revealed it will close its New Zealand newsroom in July.
Paul Goldsmith, who recently took over as Minister of Media and Communications from Melissa Lee, told RNZ the media industry is currently “under pressure”.
Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in January 2023. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community. He has a particular love for stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
