As well as a website, NZ Doctor publishes in print format every two weeks.
As well as a website, NZ Doctor publishes in print format every two weeks.
Two of New Zealand’s leading health industry mastheads are being sold, with their owners planning to cease trading later this year.
The Heath 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, director Barbara Fountain said in a statement.
“Like most news organisations we have relied on a mix of revenue streams – education contracts, subscriptions and advertising,” she said.
“Along with digital, we have successfully sustained print publications due to the unique market we serve, but with an actual and forecast drop-off in advertising we came to the very recent decision we needed to change.
“Today we told staff, although the company is still solvent and has no debt, The Health Media will cease to trade later this year and new owners are being sought for the established mastheads.This is not the end for our mastheads. We will be actively looking at a new model ...”
The Health Media was set up in 2015 by Fountain and Anna Mickell to purchase New Zealand Doctor and Pharmacy Today from its previous international owners.
“We have traded profitably since then producing specialist news and clinical education...”
The public announcement follows an all-staff meeting on Friday afternoon where workers were told of the plans.
Staff were called to the meeting which was to address what one source says has been described internally as a “sharp drop” in advertising revenue over the past six months.
The news comes during a dismal period for the media industry, with the planned closure of Newshub, job and show cuts at TVNZ and cost-cutting in most major newsrooms.
NZ Doctor editor and The Health Media director Barbara Fountain.
“I can’t really tell you anything yet, because I haven’t told my staff anything about it yet,” Fountain told Media Insider earlier today.
“I can talk about it later. I’m just not going to talk about it until we’ve talked to our staff. You can appreciate that.”
According to its website, NZ Doctor has eight editorial staff while Pharmacy Today’s website lists five editorial staff. Amongst other roles at the business are three sales roles, a general manager, a subscription manager and a shared services manager.
NZ Doctor launched in 1989 and has been published by The Health Media since 2015. It is renowned for the depth of its work, winning multiple awards.
“New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa is a medical news publication providing up-to-date news in print and online, aimed primarily at GPs and primary care,” says its website. “Our brief is broad – if it affects GPs and primary care, its business, staff, patients or ethos, we’re interested.”
In an interview with RNZ in early 2017, Fountain talked about her career.
“That dedication to independent journalism, and her commitment to mentoring young journalists, won her the inaugural Editorial Leader of the Year award at the 2016 Canon Media Awards,” reported RNZ.
“She’s so committed to the paper that she bought it and an associated publication Pharmacy Today from the multi-national company that owned it. Her company’s mission statement says, ‘We give a s***’.”
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.
