INL challenges NZPA's longtime business news stake

By Nick Smith

Friday 30th August 2002

RICK NEVILLE: We share information already

LINCOLN GOULD: Business as usual

The publisher of the Dominion Post and Christchurch's Press is forming a national press agency to rival the New Zealand Press Association (NZPA).

Independent Newspapers (INL) is now sharing business, news and sports stories among its 71 papers as the publisher revamps its operations, it was revealed yesterday.

In a move that will threaten the viability of NZPA, which was formed in 1878 and is owned by the country's newspapers, INL has created a single business section for its two biggest papers.

INL had appointed a single editor to handle the business sections of both the Dominion Post and the Press, publishing managing director Rick Neville said.

New editor Craig Howie will report to the Dominion Post and Press editors in managing the papers' new and bigger business sections, the first time two separate dailies have shared the same editor.

INL already shares feature stories among its nine daily papers, two Sunday publications and 60 community newspapers but now news stories would also be shared, he said.

There are plans to achieve "a more sensible allocation of resources" at its newspapers but particularly with the Press and Dominion Post.

"We share information already," he said. "All INL features are put in a central basket ... the best features, news and pictures [will also be shared].

"There is a high level of sharing that will increase as we go forward.

"There is a loose sharing arrangement there at the moment [that will increase and involve] more and more of our papers," Mr Neville said.

Already under siege and shedding staff and closing offices, NZPA chief executive Lincoln Gould would not comment on INL moves but said, "We are quite confident about the continuation of our services."

Mr Neville also denied his company's move was a challenge to the agency: "We're not stepping away from NZPA. We remain committed to that model and we can do both. We support NZPA but we also support using our own resources more intelligently."

INL's merger of the Evening Post and the Dominion has hurt NZPA, with sources saying it has lost $500,000 in revenue through the Post's closure.

NZPA has shed staff and closed its London office but Mr Gould said it would be maintaining its presence in Sydney and continuing to send sports reporters on overseas tours.

Meanwhile, no replacement for INL chief executive Tom Mockridge has yet been announced, with Mr Neville saying it was a "matter for the INL board."

Comments from our readers

No comments yet