New look reflects changes to your local newspaper

It's the latest in a long line of changes over the 144-year-old reign of community newspapers in CHB

You'll notice a slight change to our front page starting this week.

The new look is part of changes we're making across the NZME Community Publication Network to bring you a local newspaper that continues to be an informative and interesting read and helps us better support local businesses in reaching local readers.

It's the latest in a long line of changes that have kept the 144-year-old tradition of community newspapers in CHB forging ahead, keeping people updated with what's going on and who's doing what.

The Waipawa Mail was first published on Saturday, September 14, 1878 by Joseph Ivess. He believed a settlement without a newspaper had no voice.

By the 1930s Mr Critchley was producing the Mail but with the advent of World War II the Waipawa Mail ceased producing the newspaper, carrying on just as a printing works.

With the end of the war, Mr HF Franks took up the Mail and began printing the newspaper again in the form we know it today — a free weekly paper.

In 1978 after 100 years of serving Waipawa, the Mail was purchased by the Herald-Tribune. 1979 saw the amalgamation of the CHB Press, Hawke's Bay Herald Tribune Print and the Waipawa Mail as a new identity, the CHB Mail, and more recently the CHB Mail was part of the merger that became Hawke's Bay Today.

As we make headway into the 2020s, more people are reading community newspapers. It was recently announced our titles saw a 9 per cent growth in readership compared with the same period last year*.

The newly formed Community Publication Network is made up of 16 local newspapers that all play a critical role in keeping Kiwis connected and in the know by covering local issues, news, opportunities, achievements, heroes, events, businesses and more.

The "H" in our masthead proudly represents our role as part of New Zealand's Herald, the country's most powerful news brand. But don't worry, we're still a local paper brought to you by proudly local people, telling local stories.

Keep an eye out for more changes and improvements over the next few months. Meanwhile, this week we have news from the CHB District Council, our cricketers have had a prestigious win, the Paul Hunter Centre clients are sharing their love of art ... and we have our regular Waipukurau District Court news.

*Nielsen CMI Q1 21 — Q4 21 AP15+