Community newspapers Horowhenua Chronicle and and Kāpiti News to close

Veronica from Manakau

14 November, 2024

Community newspapers Horowhenua Chronicle and Kāpiti News, owned by NZME, is closing.

NZME chief executive Michael Boggs said in a statement published by 1news.co.nz the changing media landscape and a “substantial increase in costs” meant they were no longer profitable.

Additional comments: There is a great need for reporting on local government. That includes Horowhenua District Council and the regional council Horizons in the first instance.

Especially at this time because the community is going through so many demographic changes and pressures from population increases.

The question is how to fund it. Which is where the community comes in. Many of you will know of my work to inform the Horowhenua community mainly about council news but there's definitely room to expand.

But no man - or woman - is an island. And neither do I want to be. I know how much should be reported on but this isn't possible to achieve as a one-woman band.

An organisational model is preferred as I continue to build on my Master's thesis to develop a new media model servicing the people of Horowhenua - not vested interests.

As a qualified journalist and practitioner it disturbs me a great deal to think there will be no independent coverage of council news available to the community. Instead all the public will be left with is the spin produced by councils with the funding, capability and infrastructure to saturate the many and varied communications channels. That's not good enough.

So, I'm looking for people in the community who are interested in potentially funding a new media model based on an organisational structure.

Full disclosures will be provided to interested contributors. Please direct message me if you would like to assist. The first practical goal, in tandem with developing a new media model, would be to employ journalists to do the mahi.

And finally, "Mighty oaks from little acorns grow."

[A link to the full article www.1news.co.nz...