NZ Catholic, the national Catholic newspaper published by the Bishop of Auckland, is to cease its print publication at the end of June.
A new monthly digital publication, which will retain the title NZ Catholic, will be developed and shared in the coming months.
The publisher of NZ Catholic, Bishop Stephen Lowe, sent a letter to subscribers, supporters, readers and friends of NZ Catholic outlining the changes.
“NZ Catholic and its predecessors, the Tablet from Dunedin and the Zealandia have been part of our Catholic print media since 1873,” the bishop stated in his letter, dated May 21.
The bishop added that much has changed in the last 150 years, and that the rate of change seems to be becoming even more rapid.
“In more recent years, we have seen dramatic changes in the media landscape with audiences moving away from print and the TV news towards digital, social, and video news, entertainment and networking platforms.
“Like all other newspapers, NZ Catholic has been impacted by falling circulation numbers, subscribers and advertisers.
Bishop Lowe noted that NZ Catholic now has fewer than a 1000 subscribers, and has reached the point at which “it is no longer sustainable to publish a printed Catholic newspaper and it is my sad duty to inform you that the issue published on 30 June will be NZ Catholic’s last printed fortnightly edition”.
“At this time, it is right to give thanks for the work of the NZ Catholic staff, past and present. They have been amazing. They have told the stories of our Church and society. They have published the joys and the sorrows of people’s lives. They have sincerely used the written word to point to Jesus Christ the Word. Thank you also to the contributors from across the country and the promoters in parishes. Your stories of people and communities will remain a treasure of the Church’s history in New Zealand,” the bishop wrote.
“While this might mark the end of a regular printed newspaper, the diocese remains committed to sharing our Catholic news and stories, and we intend developing a new monthly digital publication with enhanced use of video,” Bishop Lowe continued.
“This will allow us to continue to share news, comment, and reflections to inform, record, form, and inspire our community in the Diocese of Auckland and beyond. The digital news publication will be made available for free, and I want to encourage parishes, ethnic chaplaincies, schools and other communities to share through their newsletters, websites and social media pages.
“A digital/ video storytelling role will be added to the team to enhance our capability to use video and other digital platforms to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. This role will focus initially on producing videos that include prayer, homilies, event highlights, appeals, teaching, explaining, and helping to encourage a healthy dialogue [that] our world so desperately need
Bishop Lowe thanked the readers of NZ Catholic for their faithful support.
“You have enabled us to keep publishing the newspaper for as long as we have,” he wrote.
“For subscribers a refund of your subscription balance can be sought by completing the attached form and returning it to us or alternatively go to www.nzcatholic.org.nz/refund
“Unclaimed subscription balances will be used to launch the new digital version.”
Bishop Lowe concluded the letter by stating, “It is my hope that the digital NZ Catholic will continue to celebrate and promote our faith and to help continue to knit our diverse community into one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church”.
“I ask for your prayerful support as we make this transition.”
The June 2 and June 16 editions of NZ Catholic will be normal editions. The final edition, with a publication date of June 30, will be a commemorative edition making use of photographs to remember major events covered by NZ Catholic since it started in 1996.
It is understood that readers will be able to opt for a printed version of the new digital NZ Catholic if they cannot receive email communication. There is no mention of any cost.
