NewsHub closures: creating waves of change across the Pacific

Cook Islands News, the national news agency for the Cook Islands, is one of many Pacific news media agencies expecting change in the face of NewsHub’s announced closure.

The organisation has content-sharing agreements with traditional NZ media organisations including Stuff, NZ Herald, RNZ and TVNZ, and is dependent on them for news relevant to their readers.

Editor of Cook Islands News Rashneel Kumar said that NewsHub, which it didn’t have an agreement with, was still an excellent source of extra context or additional angles for the paper’s international pages, and its absence will be felt.

“You can understand the decisions that were taken by the owners but at the same time it is really sad for journalism in general.

“What it does is provide fewer options for quality journalism.

“Media like NewsHub was a really good alternative in terms of robust and independent journalism,” said Kumar.

Cook Islands News is in the process of signing a new share agreement with Pacific Media News (PMN), who is hiring a former NewsHub reporter of Cook Islands descent.

“This will boost our coverage because the experience he brings from NewsHub will be translated into a platform that we have access to stories with.

“So that is one positive effect of the closures.

“We see the changing landscape, and we must adapt to the changes we are seeing.”

Pacific Island countries consist of small and micro media systems due to the relatively small size of their populations and economies, resulting in limited advertising revenue and marginal returns on investment.

Associate Professor in Pacific Journalism and Head of Journalism at the University of the South Pacific, Shailendra Singh said that what we are seeing in New Zealand could also happen in the Pacific.

Cook Islanders, who are New Zealand citizens, depend on New Zealand news, announcements, and decisions, especially in regard to tourism and health. Photo: Alana Musselle.

“This advertising-based model is outdated in the digital media environment, and Pacific media companies, like their counterparts worldwide, need to change and innovate to survive,” she said.

CEO of Cook Islands Television Jeanne Matenga said that the only formal relationship they have with overseas agencies is with Pasifika TV, but that NewsHub’s closure means they will no longer get any of their programmes.

“As long as we can get one of the news programmes, then that should suffice for us in terms of New Zealand and International News,” she said.

All major Pacific Island media organisations are already active on social media platforms, and are still determining how to harness, leverage, and monetize their social media followings.