New Zealand Press Association
Encyclopedia
The New Zealand Press Association (NZPA) was a news agency
that existed from 1879 to 2011 and provided national and international news to the media of New Zealand
. The largest news agency in the country, it was founded as the United Press Association in 1879, and became the New Zealand Press Association in 1942. In April 2011 it told staff that it would be wound up over the next four to six months, and ceased operation on 31 August 2011.
It was superseded by three new services, all Australian-owned. APNZ was formed by APN News & Media
and started service on 1 September 2011. APNZ creates content for over 50 newspapers and their websites, and largely works with all the APN newspapers, the Otago Daily Times and independent publications. Fairfax New Zealand News (FNZN) services Fairfax New Zealand
print media outlets. Australian Associated Press
(AAP) started NZ Newswire (NZN) on 5 September 2011.
, Ashburton Guardian
, The Gisborne Herald, The Wairoa Star Ltd, Whakatane Beacon and the Westport News were members of NZPA. Until January 2006, member newspapers were obliged by contract to supply their home town news copy to NZPA. Sub-editing was done at NZPA's Wellington
headquarters and the copy then redistributed to all members. NZPA's own journalists also contributed to the national news wire, which by 2005 consisted of approximately 50 per cent each of copy contributed by the member newspapers and the other half by NZPA's own staff.
In 2005 NZPA announced that the 125 year old news-sharing model would cease in January 2006, leaving NZPA responsible for news gathering and production of the national wire. This resulted in NZPA owning outright the intellectual property to the national news wire which it was then free to sell to all other media on a commercial basis. At the same time NZPA established news services other than the text-based newswire, including photo-news and graphics services as well as providing news, features and other information in page ready format.
The NZPA newsroom (based in Wellington) sent out approximately 1000 different pieces of information every 24 hours, compiled from the resources of its employees, overseas wire services and other sources such as the NZ Stock Exchange. The NZPA employed approximately 40 journalists, based in Sydney
(2 staff), Auckland
(4 staff), New Zealand Parliament (5 staff) and at the head office in Wellington. From January 2006 staff concentrated on news gathering, where they previously focused on sub-editing. As well as full time staff, there were national networks of both correspondents and photographers. NZPA operated business, national and a sports desk which also covered racing and employed a rural reporter.
NZPA managed external newsfeeds from Reuters
, Australian Associated Press and Associated Press
and sub-edited the items for a New Zealand audience before distributing them on to member newspapers. NZPA also provided these services with reciprocal rights to its content for sale overseas though practically little content was directly used.
NZPA operated a content sales division providing NZPA authored content on a commercial basis to corporate and government clients. It also operated a media release distribution service circulating media releases to media on behalf of clients domestically and also across the world through Asianet, a consortium of press agencies.
News agency
A news agency is an organization of journalists established to supply news reports to news organizations: newspapers, magazines, and radio and television broadcasters. Such an agency may also be referred to as a wire service, newswire or news service.-History:The oldest news agency is Agence...
that existed from 1879 to 2011 and provided national and international news to the media of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The largest news agency in the country, it was founded as the United Press Association in 1879, and became the New Zealand Press Association in 1942. In April 2011 it told staff that it would be wound up over the next four to six months, and ceased operation on 31 August 2011.
It was superseded by three new services, all Australian-owned. APNZ was formed by APN News & Media
APN News & Media
APN News & Media Limited is an Australian and New Zealand media company. Divisions include newspaper publishing, online publishing, broadcast radio and outdoor advertising in Australia and New Zealand...
and started service on 1 September 2011. APNZ creates content for over 50 newspapers and their websites, and largely works with all the APN newspapers, the Otago Daily Times and independent publications. Fairfax New Zealand News (FNZN) services Fairfax New Zealand
Fairfax New Zealand
Fairfax New Zealand Limited is the largest media company operating in New Zealand, and is part of Australia's Fairfax Media.Fairfax Media established its operation on the 1 July 2003 purchase of the publishing assets of Independent Newspapers Ltd...
print media outlets. Australian Associated Press
Australian Associated Press
Australian Associated Press is Australia's national news agency. The organisation was established in 1935 by Fairfax and The Herald and Weekly Times.AAP employs more than 175 journalists who work in bureaux in all Australian states and territories...
(AAP) started NZ Newswire (NZN) on 5 September 2011.
History
Daily and Sunday newspapers owned by APN News & Media, Fairfax New Zealand, Allied PressAllied Press
Allied Press is a New Zealand publishing company based in Dunedin. The company's main asset is the Otago Daily Times, New Zealand's oldest daily newspaper...
, Ashburton Guardian
Ashburton Guardian
The Ashburton Guardian is a daily newspaper published in Ashburton, New Zealand according to the Audit Bureau of Circulation in New Zealand it has a readership of approximately 11,000 and a circulation of 5,554....
, The Gisborne Herald, The Wairoa Star Ltd, Whakatane Beacon and the Westport News were members of NZPA. Until January 2006, member newspapers were obliged by contract to supply their home town news copy to NZPA. Sub-editing was done at NZPA's Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
headquarters and the copy then redistributed to all members. NZPA's own journalists also contributed to the national news wire, which by 2005 consisted of approximately 50 per cent each of copy contributed by the member newspapers and the other half by NZPA's own staff.
In 2005 NZPA announced that the 125 year old news-sharing model would cease in January 2006, leaving NZPA responsible for news gathering and production of the national wire. This resulted in NZPA owning outright the intellectual property to the national news wire which it was then free to sell to all other media on a commercial basis. At the same time NZPA established news services other than the text-based newswire, including photo-news and graphics services as well as providing news, features and other information in page ready format.
The NZPA newsroom (based in Wellington) sent out approximately 1000 different pieces of information every 24 hours, compiled from the resources of its employees, overseas wire services and other sources such as the NZ Stock Exchange. The NZPA employed approximately 40 journalists, based in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
(2 staff), Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
(4 staff), New Zealand Parliament (5 staff) and at the head office in Wellington. From January 2006 staff concentrated on news gathering, where they previously focused on sub-editing. As well as full time staff, there were national networks of both correspondents and photographers. NZPA operated business, national and a sports desk which also covered racing and employed a rural reporter.
NZPA managed external newsfeeds from Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
, Australian Associated Press and Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and sub-edited the items for a New Zealand audience before distributing them on to member newspapers. NZPA also provided these services with reciprocal rights to its content for sale overseas though practically little content was directly used.
NZPA operated a content sales division providing NZPA authored content on a commercial basis to corporate and government clients. It also operated a media release distribution service circulating media releases to media on behalf of clients domestically and also across the world through Asianet, a consortium of press agencies.