The Stuff newsroom in Ponsonby. Photo / Dean Purcell
By Colin Peacock of RNZ
The country’s biggest news publisher Stuff has proposed a further restructuring of editorial and managerial jobs at the company. RNZ Mediawatch understands some senior journalists will have to reapply for new roles - including a single position as editor for The Sunday Star-Times and the capital’s daily The Post.
Staff were informed of the proposal this morning after some senior staff were briefed yesterday. Mediawatch understands staff have been told they have until Monday to provide feedback and a final decision due is next Wednesday.
Stuff did not confirm details of the proposal, but told Mediawatch the Stuff Group is “transforming into three new businesses: Stuff Digital, Stuff Masthead Publishing and Stuff Brand Connections.”
“Incoming-CEO Laura Maxwell and the managing directors of each new business ... have begun discussions with senior staff about the shape of the new businesses. These discussions are confidential to those staff. We won’t be commenting about individual roles,” the statement said.
There’s already a separate plan to cut print production staff numbers substantially and introduce new technology to produce papers and manage online news.
These changes are part of an ongoing effort to refocus the company’s newsgathering and editorial oversight, as well as its commercial operations.
In April, Stuff launched subscription-based websites for its biggest daily papers - The Press, Waikato Times and The Post - after putting almost all its news online for free for a quarter of a century.
The Post replaced The Dominion Post in March, with a greater focus on political and national issues under a new editor appointed six months ago.
Earlier this month the company announced what it called “the next generation” of Stuff leadership in new roles which take effect next month.
Chief editor and CEO Sinead Boucher - who bought the company three years ago for $1 from Australian owners - will be the executive chair and publisher of the company.
“She will focus on the strategic future of the business, its products and journalism,” Stuff’s statement said.
Maxwell was appointed chief executive of Stuff Group. She was formerly a digital transformation executive at rival publisher NZME.
Joanna Norris - a former editor of The Press - will take up a new role as managing director of Stuff Publishing.
Nadia Tolich - another former NZME editor - will be the managing director of Stuff Digital “charged with leading stuff.co.nz, Neighbourly and growth of its audio division”.
Matt Headland was appointed as managing director of Stuff Brand Connections, the commercial division of the company dealing with advertisers and events.
After strong initial staff support for the buyout Boucher engineered in 2020, Stuff management have faced discontent over cutbacks and a regional newsgathering rejig last year which reduced reporting strength in local newsrooms but increased news reporting elsewhere.
There was also a pay dispute last December in which reporters downed tools during shifts and some accused bosses of not living up to their own assertions about the value of journalists’ work.