Stuff partners with Substack on local news

Stuff is partnering with email newsletter platform Substack in an initiative designed to accelerate the launch and success of local news publications on the platform. The programme, called Substack Local, includes the awarding of US$1 million of funding for local news writers around the world, and as part of that Stuff is receiving funding to launch two newsletters. ‘‘We see this as a great opportunity to learn about the rising popularity of paid newsletters, the type of newsletter content people in New Zealand are willing to pay for, and new revenue models that we might be able to tap into in the future,’’ Stuff editorial director Mark Stevens said. ‘‘It also augments our deep reporting of local issues.’’ Details of the newsletters, including the appointment of journalists and the communities they would focus on, were being determined. ‘‘It is clear from the discussions that Stuff and Substack have shared that we have a common interest in helping local journalism flourish,’’ Stevens said.