Closing the rural titles means nine editorial staff and six commercial staff will lose their jobs, while Stuff will maintain three editorial staff to provide online content which will also be used in its major newspapers' farming sections. The closure of the community titles means five editorial and four sales staff will lose their jobs, while Stuff will keep two editorial staff in Queenstown.
"The continuation of the NZ Farmer digital section means we can still provide a daily news and advertising platform for the many rural Kiwis that will continue to look to Stuff for their farming news," said chief executive Sinead Boucher. "It will also allow us to build on both our audience and digital strategy."
Stuff has sold Avenues to Twenty Seven Publishers, who will continue to publish Avenues as a monthly title, distributed via The Press, it said. It is still trying to sell the Clutha Leader and the Kaikoura Star, and if it does not, it has previously said the publications will be closed by the end of the year.
The company attempted to merge with New Zealand Herald owner NZME, but was blocked by the Commerce Commission over fears the resulting public interest loss of media diversity outweighed the economic benefits of the deal.
That decision was upheld by the High Court, although the media companies have since sought leave to contest that decision in the Court of Appeal. In March, the two said they will renegotiate the terms of their merger if they successfully appeal the High Court's rejection of their deal.
