Why we are here

Do you know anyone who is happy with the general state of New Zealand’s media?

We don’t. So we’re now in the game, to shake things up.

These are historic times with monumental changes occurring. Controlling the narrative seems to be job one, for many, including governments. Instead of offering a wide range of perspectives, news from “accredited media” far too often boils down to mostly opinion, masquerading as fact and presented with “we know best” smugness. Money and personal opinion often take precedence over journalistic integrity. Many readers are suspicious and feel betrayed.

Who we are

New Zealand News Essentials (NZNE) is a digital media publication founded in 2022, specialising in news summation, analysis and long-form research articles pertaining to the nation’s governance, economy, society, media and more. We don’t accept money from the government and offer access to our site and newsletter at no cost.

We look at news from the perspective of a voter wishing to be informed. We aim to add insight, while saving you time and money.

Our team thoroughly canvass and distill a broad range of sources from both on and off shore. We then condense that information down to a fact-based perspective that gets to the heart of the matter.

For most news, the final story is all that sticks, so for us “get it right” trumps, “get it right now”.

Our editorial board has a wide range of domestic and international experience. This includes media, business, law and government policy. We prefer pseudonyms for our on-staff writers, because our objective is to create a following for the publication, not the individual. We’re non-partisan. We seek to inform rather than influence, because more informed opinions promote better outcomes.

– October, 2022

Goals

We aim to achieve the following:

Inform and interest Kiwis on the big issues facing New Zealand.
Distill a broad range of news sources – with style – saving readers time and money.
Provide original content and analysis that challenges Kiwis to think critically.
Provide a centrist view examining the merits of both sides.
Strengthen democracy and scrutinise power.