3 HB weekly newspapers to close

NZ Media Enterprises has announced it is shutting down its weekly newspapers. In HB those would be the Hastings Leader, Napier Courier and the CHB Mail. Apparently by Christmas.

Does that make a difference? Have you seen these papers lately?

It’s tough times everywhere for print publishers, including BayBuzz magazine, but we press on with our devoted band of subscribers, donors and advertisers.

We’re not convinced print is dead. In fact, our ‘read’ is that there are plenty of die-hards out there who still relish actually touching and turning pages and navigating easily! And who already have enough ‘digital’ clamouring for their attention.

In fact, BayBuzz has been percolating on the ‘contrarian’ idea of publishing a weekly newspaper for Hawke’s Bay, suspecting that a better quality paper content-wise, 100% focused on Hawke’s Bay, might actually be welcomed.

We’ve even gone to the trouble of producing a mock-up. Here’s the front page.

BB Weekly mock up cover

You can download the whole paper here.

So … is local print journalism dead? Is it time for us all to embrace the digital news world, however reluctantly?

Or might there be a role for a quality weekly Hawke’s Bay newspaper? If so, what content and features would you want it to have? Would you be inclined to join the digital resistance movement?

Let us know what you think. Send your reactions to [email protected].

And meantime, if you crave daily print (i.e., 6x/week), there’s always HB Today … at least for now.

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6 Comments

  1. I think there is a need for a local newspaper and I know there are plenty of people who would like a physical copy of this. I never received a copy of the Courier here in Te Awa and this may have been because I have a “no junk mail” sticker on my letterbox, (although I don’t consider a newspaper to be “junk mail”). Ideally a local paper would include local news and sports and I would like to see upcoming events in there as well. Perhaps a section with groups that people can join. That would be great for those who are on their own or new to the area and looking for social interaction. Also if there are local markets happening including their locations.
    And of course a crossword. Everyone loves a crossword.
    Thank you.

  2. Like Christine Wilson, I don’t receive a copy of the courier but I would love to receive BayBuzz weekly. Great idea!!

  3. I think we need a local must read community newspaper in Napier / Hastings
    HB Today I suspect as she becomes a clone of the NZ Herald in a diminished form will disappear soon and be replaced by the Herald with local inserts for Napier / Tauranga etc

  4. A weekly Pan-Hawkes Bay newspaper would be a great idea. I would subscribe, if all 4 were combined into one.

  5. I’d buy it. I get the Herald delivered once a week and a local one once a week would balance that out. I wish I did get the Courier – I don’t have ‘no Junk’ on my letterbox and I never received it even after ringing them to enquire why our street was missed.

  6. I think the broader question is do we need local journalists who can do local stories and local investigations (yes we need investigative journalists). Whether the product is produced in digital or print form or a combination of both is a moot point if there is no local, trained journalists to support it.

    There are a lot of interests who don’t want such journalism but something is sorely needed to keep the vast volumes of mis-information and reckons at bay.

    How best to pay for it is the big challenge. I’d happily support a combination of central government, local government levy , advertising and subscription for print with online being free. All parties should have an interest in local media production to keep communities thriving.

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