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This month marks this newspaper’s 20th year in business – 20 years of keeping a watchful eye on the news, views and information that matter in Kaipara.
We’ve covered the celebrations and scandals, devastating weather events, the bust and boom of the property market, and the amazing volunteers who have built institutions like the Mangawhai Museum and the Mangawhai Activity Zone.
And while our task of keeping our communities informed has largely remained unchanged, the media environment in which we operate has shifted almost beyond recognition.
When the first Focus rolled off the press, Facebook was barely a year old and Google had just launched gmail. Twitter started the following year and Instagram and TikTok were just a dream in some developer’s eye.
These digital behemoths have gone on to slowly and relentlessly cannibalise local advertising revenue, turning traditional media business models on their heads. Coupled with rising production and distribution costs, many publishers have been forced to scale back print runs or close entirely.
In recent years, dozens of long-standing titles have folded or gone digital-only, leaving gaps in community coverage that are often filled by unverified social media posts or national outlets with little local context. To add insult to injury, advertising money that was once spent in the community is now siphoned off to overseas companies that don’t even pay tax in New Zealand.
It feels like an unfair fight, as we try to maintain a free fortnightly newspaper, which is mostly delivered free of charge to home letterboxes.
But we have a trump card up our sleeves which can’t be replicated by these big tech companies – only we can tell our stories because only we are prepared to invest in local journalism. And this is happening at a time when the demand for trusted, local storytelling remains as strong as ever.
Rather than trying to compete with national news organisations or social media, we are doubling down on what we do best – deeply local journalism that connects neighbours, informs ratepayers and strengthens civic identity. Readers are increasingly recognising the value of this work, which we see with the increasing number of paid subscriptions to our website (localmatters.co.nz) and our loyalty programme, which can be found at Press Patron: https://localmatters.presspatron.com
I believe there’s an enduring affection for print — especially among older readers, advertisers and community groups who see their achievements and events showcased in a tangible, and lasting, form.
Our next 20 years will undoubtedly hinge on both collaboration and innovation. Shared services, local partnerships, and even philanthropic or council support could help sustain quality local reporting when commercial returns alone are no longer viable. Ultimately, whether on paper or screen, communities still crave connection and credible local information — something no algorithm can replace. Here’s to the next 20 years!
