‘Alarm bells ringing’
Pressure is mounting on the Government to step in as the demise of Newshub sets alarm bells ringing over the near monopoly of government-owned news broadcasters on our airwaves once it goes.
About 240,000 people tune into the 6pm news on Newshub and its breaking news website attracts an even bigger audience, at about 1 million – significantly bigger than TVNZ’s online audience.
But that could all disappear in June – the date at which Warner Bros/Discovery bosses propose shutting Newshub down, which would leave more than 300 journalists, producers, editors, camera operators and other staff out of a job.
It would effectively axe all locally produced content, including the 6pm news and its current affairs shows.
The shock announcement affects household names including Mike McRoberts, Samantha Hayes, Paddy Gower and Ryan Bridge among others.
While online news outlets, including Stuff.co.nz, have huge audiences, when it comes to broadcast, the only serious rival to TVNZ and RNZ for audience share will be NewstalkZB once Newshub goes.
While ACT leader David Seymour and deputy PM Winston Peters alternately called Newshub’s closure both a sad day and a disaster for democracy, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was confident plurality would continue. Media and Communications Minister Melissa Lee said government intervention wouldn’t have saved the broadcaster.
There is growing unease in the media industry with commentators speculating on which news organisation might be next to pull the plug. News bosses in recent weeks have warned government that media was at “extinction level” risk amid the explosion of AI.
Newshub staff – who had little warning of the announcement – were in shock yesterday, with some immediately leaving the Auckland newsroom, straight to the pub, while others continued working for upcoming broadcasts.
Former MediaWorks boss Mark Jennings, now with Newsroom, criticised Discovery for a lack of strategy, and not acting earlier to try to save the newsroom, while former chief executive Brent Impey said the news media industry was effectively at a crossroads.
“It’s very tough, because journalism which is dependent on advertising in traditional media is under enormous pressure,” said Impey. “I can see it only going downhill in restructuring of newsrooms ... the outlook: as long as it is funded solely by advertising, it has no future.”
Stuff chief executive Sinead Boucher yesterday moved to reassure staff after the news broke, in a company-wide email in response to speculation about its financial position. “I want to ... ensure you all know they are simply wrong. I know times are tough in media right now. The market is tough and requires constant adaptation. Change is constant and we have to evolve and innovate at every opportunity. Rest assured that Stuff has done and is doing just that, often ahead of the market and always with an eye to the years ahead.”
Journalism academic Professor James Hollings said the Government “had been warned”. “Governments have been told for quite a long time now that they need to do something to support New Zealand news media, in other words, progress the [Fair
“I can see [ journalism] only going downhill in restructuring of newsrooms ... the outlook, as long as it is funded solely by advertising, it has no future.”
Brent Impey, former MediaWorks CEO