NZ owned media — it’s a good thing

It is very rare to see every part of a community in total agreement on an event. So it was in Hamilton this week.

But how could we not all rejoice at the news that our Waikato Times was at last back in New Zealand ownership?

And also the other important dailies in Wellington and Christchurch included.

Profound thanks to Sinead Boucher, chief executive of Stuff, for her inspired, dogged and brave action to organise a successful management buyout.

Great to see politicians, business leaders, staff, readers and all who care about the future of media in this country, celebrating this achievement.

However, it is now timely to again express a firm conviction I have always had.

The media are an essential part of a properly functioning democracy.

After all the Covid-19 regulations deemed them to be an essential service.

Therefore our media, especially daily newspapers, should never be in foreign ownership.

The sale of the Waikato Times and other national dailies should never have been allowed.

Can I now request those politicians, who are now so enthusiastic about the return of these newspapers into New Zealand ownership, to introduce legislation to prevent such foreign ownership happening again.

If they do not do this, all their supportive comments are mere cant and sophistry.

I read that the NZ Herald wanted to buy the papers.

Now that would have been almost as bad as foreign ownership.

Russell O Armitage, Hamilton