Stuff shuns gun adverts
Media company Stuff
‘‘will not be taking any future gun advertising’’, chief executive Sinead Boucher says.
The Press, which is owned by Stuff, has frequently published advertisements for Gun City, which operates seven stores.
Boucher said the company did not have any gun advertising campaigns booked at present.
The Stuff statement that it would not accept them in future follows the murder of 50 people in a terror attack on the Muslim community in Christchurch on Friday.
NZME, owner of the New Zealand Herald, indicated it would not run advertisements for guns at the moment.
Chief commercial officer Matt Headland said it had ‘‘stood down’’ gun advertising in light of the terror attack, but he did not indicate how long for – or whether that might evolve into a permanent ban.
‘‘NZME only accepts advertising that complies with the law and the codes of the Advertising Standards Authority,’’ Headland said.
‘‘Under New Zealand law only registered firearms dealers may advertise guns for sale, but this must be done in a socially responsible way and otherwise in accordance with the codes of the Advertising Standards Authority.’’
Gun City stores have been open since the attacks and staff in Christchurch were telling customers yesterday they had sold out of AR15s, a type of semiautomatic rifle.