Kia ora koutou katoa,

Welcome to Stuff’s first Impact Report. It’s been one year since Stuff returned to local ownership. It’s been a liberating change, enabling us to make decisions based on our values and our bold ambitions for the future.

Stuff is on a mission to make Aotearoa a better place through trustworthy and interesting journalism that enhances our communities and represents their diversity. To be an organisation that has a real, positive impact on society, thinking not just of profit, but of purpose, our people and the planet.

As a media company, it’s easy for us to say and print those words. As New Zealand’s largest independent media organisation, the only thing that really matters is, are we living up to them? This, then, is our first of many annual Impact Reports, published for a couple of different reasons.

Firstly, because we think it’s a really good read, highlighting some of the best journalism we’ve ever done. Work that took hard graft, tears and grit, because the truth takes more. Secondly, it’s us openly sharing with you, our many readers, subscribers, supporters, advertisers and funding partners how we are keeping true to our word.

Ngā mihi nui for the vital role you play in nourishing and sustaining our journalism, and enabling the positive impact we have on society.

SINEAD BOUCHER,
STUFF CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Rizwangul (Riz) NurMuhammad spoke to Stuff Circuit about her brother’s imprisonment in China. STUFF CIRCUIT

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“The bravery and dedication of the Stuff team who worked on Deleted have put New Zealand on the right side of history. They did it for every New Zealander to bring the truth to stop the Uyghur genocide in China and awaken the New Zealand Government. Stuff might have saved hundreds of thousands of Uyghur lives. They might suffer less torture in the camp because of your documentary. That’s the truth. The more we act, the less they suffer.”

UYGHUR NEW ZEALANDER MURAT
(NAME CHANGED TO PROTECT HIS SECURITY)

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TRUTH BE TOLD

Migrant worker exploitation investigation

STEVE KILGALLON

NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

Steve Kilgallon’s three-year investigation into migrant workers exploited in New Zealand has impacted individual lives via new jobs and visas, and forced systemic change. Alongside visual journalist David White, Steve’s relentless pursuit of the story has seen stakeouts, doorknocks, a physical altercation in which a Stuff staff member was attacked, a dozen Official Information Act requests, and legal threats, to draw sharp focus on the structural causes of migrant exploitation, system inefficiencies and the liquor industry’s relationship with migrants. Recently, a bottle store exposed for its owners’ alleged exploitation was ordered to close. A court ruling preventing exploitative employers from losing their liquor licences for labour law breaches was challenged — and won — by the Medical Officer of Health, who cited Steve’s work as primary evidence.

Bhavdeep Singh spoke to Stuff about his experiences of exploitation. DAVID WHITE/STUFF

Unwarranted: Police racial bias revealed

EUGENE BINGHAM

SENIOR JOURNALIST

FELIPPE RODRIGUES

DATA JOURNALIST

Unwarranted began with curiosity: what aspect of policing would reveal whether ethnicity swayed frontline decisions? We focused on warrantless searches. It took two years, several Official Information Act requests and appeals to the Ombudsman to obtain details of every warrantless search in 2018-2019. Police had said they didn’t collect ethnicity data, so data journalist Felippe Rodrigues built a database, comparing searches carried out by each police station with ethnicity data for the location of that station. Eugene Bingham searched every district court, high court and court of appeal decision published over the past few years to find cases where warrantless searches had been used, as well as interviewing lawyers, advocates, politicians and ex-police officers. Critically, with visual journalist Chris McKeen, Eugene approached young people (via community organisations). Their experiences backed up what the data was telling us — that if you’re brown, you’re more likely to be targeted by the police. The database showed searches were far more common in areas with higher Māori and Pasifika populations. Then, on the eve of publication, the Police Commissioner admitted that the police did collect ethnicity data, and arranged for it to be released to us. What it showed, he said, was “appalling”. As a result police are now reviewing how they interact with Māori and Pasifika.

SUNGMI KIM/STUFF

AUT sexual harassment investigation

ALISON MAU

SENIOR JOURNALIST

It took one whistleblower and #MeTooNZ Editor Alison Mau to blow the lid open on decades of sexual stalking and harassment at a top university.

As a result two AUT pro-vice chancellors resigned and a movement was formed to tackle harassment in tertiary organisations following Mau’s five-month long investigation.

Mau’s reporting was intense — a 12-hour line-by-line analysis of 137 texts between the whistleblower and victim Dr Marisa Paterson and internationally renowned academic Professor Max Abbott CNZM — was just the start.

Then interviews with about 40 new sources, many based overseas, each helping to disprove AUT’s claims that its processes in tackling sexual harassment claims were sound.

Uncovering the truth in such allegations requires sensitivity with Mau working closely with Dr Paterson, who was putting her own academic reputation on the line by calling out her harasser’s behaviour.

Mau’s work in the #MeToo area has had a lasting impact with hundreds of people submitting to a subsequent university-ordered external review undertaken by a top QC.

False Profit: Is Billy Te Kahika really a man of Christian values and integrity?

STUFF CIRCUIT

Fact-checked, reliable information is critical in an election year. Billy Te Kahika amassed thousands of followers online in 2020, by telling them misinformation: falsifications about coronavirus, 5G, that an elite cabal covertly controls the world. He then leveraged that following to set up his own political party. With just five weeks until the election, we were adamant the voting public should be informed.

Stuff Circuit launched an ardent investigation: finding sources, corroborating claims, corroborating them again, extracting documentation and convincing reluctant former associates of Te Kahika to go on camera. For every person we interviewed on camera we spoke to another half dozen off camera. The resulting documentary, False Profit, published in the week leading up to the election, revealed the new prophet of freedom and truth had a history of mistruths, bad deals and bullying. Three days after publication, Facebook took down Te Kahika’s party page, for sharing misinformation. He was not elected to Parliament.

TOBY LONGBOTTOM/STUFF

“For months, I’ve watched friends, acquaintances and members of my community fall headfirst into Billy TK’s festering cess-pit of a cult... I’m so worried about what this is doing to the fabric of our society. I’m so impressed by Stuff’s level of journalism at the moment. And this is the most perfect example of serving Kiwis with the truth.”

READER FEEDBACK

Former New Zealand gymnast Olivia Jobsis spoke out about her experiences in gymnastics. LAWRENCE SMITH/STUFF

Gymnastics New Zealand investigation

ZOË GEORGE

SENIOR SPORTS REPORTER

Female voices and experiences have often been sidelined in sport. Zoë George’s investigation into alarming allegations of abuse in gymnastics was the first time many of the brave women affected were told: “I believe you. Your voice is important. Your experiences are valid”. The cornerstone of Zoë’s fastidious reporting, undertaken over nine months, was providing a safe environment with a survivor-centred approach. Many athletes, now in adulthood, were still working through issues related to the abuse they experienced, and ensuring they weren’t revictimised was paramount. The more than 30 stories exposed an “insidious” culture of psychological and verbal abuse, body shaming, bullying and sexualisation. Minister for Sport Grant Robertson called the allegations “deeply concerning”, Sport New Zealand opened up its Independent Complaints Mechanism to everyone in gymnastics and Gymnastics NZ established an independent review. Following our reporting the organisation issued a formal apology.

“What the investigation has meant to me is absolute invaluable support through something that has been incredibly hard and exhausting. The support and belief from Zoë in those of us affected by this has meant we really did get a voice.”

A MEMBER OF THE GYMNASTICS COMMUNITY

Deleted: NZ’s role in persecuting Uyghurs

STUFF CIRCUIT

New Zealand’s Uyghur community was terrified to speak out about Xinjiang, China, where thousands of Uyghurs had been held in detention centres to undergo what China terms “re-education”. Speaking out could have huge ramifications for their families’ safety, but Deleted gave people a protective place to tell their stories and raise awareness of the atrocities. It began with an Instagram message: a local Uyghur woman worried about a brother who’d been detained since 2017 was looking for help. So began the challenging process of connecting with the notoriously secretive community. It took time and a firm commitment to building trust first.

Phase two of the investigation meant proving New Zealand business and political links to the persecution of Uyghurs. Stuff Circuit trawled Companies Office records and public statements, made numerous Official Information Act requests, and directly questioned entities to build a strong narrative that New Zealand businesses, backed by Government funding, were partnering with a Chinese company directly involved in violations against Uyghurs. Deleted forced entities to cut ties with the firm and the Government told investment funds to re-evaluate their policies on ethical investment. Those outcomes were gratifying, but the most rewarding result was the feedback from the Uyghur community. They told us they finally felt heard.

Shackling of pregnant prisoners stopped

MICHELLE DUFF

NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

Heavily pregnant and post-partum women in prison will no longer be chained after a report from Michelle Duff exposed horrific practices including women being forced to give birth in handcuffs, struggling to feed their newborns while shackled, and being made to labour with Corrections officers in the room. Four years ago, after a tip from a contact, Michelle made Official Information Act requests to Corrections and the Children’s Commissioner, but was declined.

After returning from her own maternity leave, she made the requests again, and was given two reports from 2019 and 2020 which revealed that 17 years after an Ombudsman report was highly critical of the practice, the handcuffing of pregnant and labouring women prisoners continued. As a result of Michelle’s story, Corrections changed its policy and the Ombudsman launched an investigation into the entire prison system and why years of reports and suggested reforms haven’t come to fruition.

KATHRYN GEORGE/STUFF

Our north star

Public trust is our north star, how we measure ourselves and our journalism.

It has always been vital in our newsrooms but now it is the paramount lens through which we commission and create content. We want to be the most trusted organisation in New Zealand.

In a fast-changing world where misinformation spreads on social media, the need for trustworthy journalism has never been greater and we are committed to operating in channels that build public trust, not erode it.

Concerned about its toxic environment, we paused posting on our Facebook and Instagram accounts. It has cost us some audience but has been welcomed by readers, contributors and staff.

At Stuff we are making deliberate efforts to ensure the voices in our products and stories better reflect a diverse audience; a multicultural New Zealand. Our Stuff Charter plants Treaty of Waitangi principles of partnership, participation and protection firmly at the centre of our company kaupapa. We are also actively recruiting more diverse reporters in our newsrooms.

We uncover hidden truths, we hold the powerful to account, we pursue local issues that matter to you and we champion our communities.

In an age where rumours and speculation spread unchecked, Stuff’s professional standards of accuracy, fairness and balance are more vital than ever, which is why we have published our own editorial code of practice and ethics. This is the document that guides our journalism and enables our readers to hold us to account if we fall short.

If we don’t have public trust in what we produce, we have nothing.

The Forever Project magazine has become a reader favourite.

Thinking about forever

At Stuff we are committed to clear coverage of the life-changing peril of climate change and sustainability through The Forever Project.

This is a project that is more than articulating the challenges, as huge as they are, but about sharing solutions with our readers.

Many of you have told us you feel helpless or depressed when reading about the scale of the climate challenge. We get it. We won’t shy away from telling the truth, but we know you want to see a way forward as well.

The Forever Project treats climate change and sustainability as issues that touch every aspect of our lives: from the food we eat to the cars we drive; from the diseases that menace us to whether we can get house insurance; from protest action to political inaction.

And getting information about climate change couldn’t be easier. The Forever Project includes a digital hub at foreverproject.co.nz and a carbon-neutral quarterly magazine inserted into all of our daily newspapers and the Sunday Star-Times. Our magazine is part of the broader Forever Project initiative that includes daily coverage on Stuff and in our newspapers, and a weekly email newsletter.

And back at the office we are walking the talk. As Climate Leaders Coalition members we’ve made progress towards our emissions target — a 25 per cent reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2025 — with a 15 per cent reduction achieved for the year ending June 2020. We are electrifying our fleet, improving our energy efficiency, decarbonising our products and bringing everyone on the journey.

Stuff’s historic public apology

CARMEN PARAHI

POU TIAKI EDITOR

MARK STEVENS

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Reinvention offers opportunity for introspection. In 2020, Stuff undertook a company-wide investigation of our news-making since the mid-19th century. Led by editorial director Mark Stevens and Pou Tiaki editor Carmen Parahi, a team of 20 journalists worked for three months to create a multimedia exploration of subjects including child abuse, Parihaka, the police raids in Te Urewera, and the Foreshore and Seabed Act, to scrutinise how we had portrayed Māori. Our conclusion? We had failed Māori. Our reporting had contributed to stigma, marginalisation and stereotypes. The project resulted in a historic public apology, across the front page of Stuff’s 43 papers, and an undertaking to better represent Aotearoa.

“I've cried, felt angry and hopeful reading your coverage this morning. Like most, I never thought I would see this change in narrative in my lifetime — a really significant day for Māori and Aotearoa, thank you for gifting us this today.”

READER FEEDBACK

the dominion post front page from our truth

Stuff’s apology to Māori on the cover of The Dominion Post. JOHNSON WITEHIRA

The truth about Aotearoa

On Waitangi Day 2021, the next chapter of Tā Mātou Pono challenged the history of Aotearoa. About 50 staff investigated the many stories and voices missing from our past, either deliberately excluded or not, that we must learn about to truly understand who we are as a nation.

The next time someone visits Starbucks on Auckland’s Queen St, they may remember Maketū, the first state hanging, watched by hundreds across the road nearly 180 years ago and how it relates to Māori and the justice system. When visiting Featherston, a visitor may recall the prisoner of war camp that once existed there and the fateful day in 1943 when 48 Japanese men were shot dead. These are two of the many stories published online and in our papers over three months. Whāia te mātauranga hei oranga mō koutou — seek knowledge for your wellbeing.

Waitangi Day 2021 celebrations. RYAN ANDERSON/STUFF

Dr Ashley Bloomfield faces questions from Stuff at a Covid-19 press conference. ROB KITCHIN/STUFF

FACTS FIRST

Vote 2020

How we vote impacts all New Zealanders, so Stuff’s election coverage put voters squarely at its centre. Our Whole Truth fact-checking project cut through candidates’ lies and half-truths, while Aotearoa in 20 used demographic data to profile our nation’s vibrancy. The Press Leaders Debate let the audience shape the discussion, while the Tick. Tick podcast eschewed beltway punditry for an accessible style and format. Our campaign coverage culminated with an ambitious election night four-hour live broadcast, interactive dashboard and live blog. The livestream, featuring 40 journalists, garnered 1.1m views and the dashboard another 1.5m.

Jacinda Ardern and Judith Collins went head to head in The Press Leaders Debate. JOE JOHNSON/STUFF

The Whole Truth: Covid-19 Vaccination

Stuff’s journalism is trustworthy. So much so that a project to fight misinformation about Covid-19 vaccination won support from the global Google News Initiative fund.

In partnership with Māori TV and the Pacific Media Network, Stuff launched its ‘The Whole Truth: Covid-19 Vaccination’ project, designed to fight falsehoods about the Covid-19 vaccine.

Aotearoa’s long-term strategy for managing the impact of Covid-19 is to achieve herd immunity via mass vaccination. But a significant number of Kiwis are likely to refuse the vaccine, many because of misplaced fears, stoked by misinformation.

The project was one of a number selected from around the world by the Google News Initiative for support from its $4.2m Covid-19 Vaccine Counter Misinformation Open Fund. The fund was also designed to encourage projects that aim to reach audiences underserved by fact-checking or targeted by misinformation.

“Pacific Media Network’s partnership with Stuff is centred on a high-trust relationship through an alignment of purpose. Our value in providing a 100% Pacific world view is respected by the team at Stuff and an inclusive part of the content creation. PMN looks forward to a long-standing, strategic partnership.”

DON MANN, CEO, PACIFIC MEDIA NETWORK

Forever Project uncovers corporate greenwashing

OLIVIA WANNAN

SENIOR CLIMATE REPORTER

In another win for our Forever Project, senior climate reporter Olivia Wannan revealed that 100 per cent renewable electricity certificates being purchased and touted by businesses were little more than hot air.

Her month-long investigation into Certified Energy’s certificates paired expert interviews with research into renewable electricity certificates overseas and the regulation of similar schemes to show it was being used to cut emissions on paper, without reducing carbon in the atmosphere.

Olivia’s work prompted the Energy Minister to investigate and resulted in Certified Energy announcing it would evaluate and develop its system.

POSITIVE PUBLIC SERVICE

In Honour

SOUTHLAND NEWSROOM

The brave men and women who fought for New Zealand are often remembered in death; In Honour is the first database recording and commemorating the more than 500 Kiwi war veterans still living. Led by our Southland newsroom, the database took months of contacting individual RSAs to collate a list of living veterans and constantly cross-checking those names against funeral notices. The New Zealand Professional Photographers Institute provided photographs and its database on World War II soldiers. The project relaunched for Anzac Day 2021 to tell the sad, heartwarming and, at times, funny stories of those in our armed forces. Many people have come forward to say how thrilled they are that their loved ones have been recognised.

LAWRENCE SMITH/STUFF

Matariki public holiday

Before the turn of this century, few people knew of Matariki or understood its significance. Now, people across the country celebrate Matariki as if we always have. In July 2020, Stuff launched a campaign for an inclusive Matariki public holiday that would honour Aotearoa’s past and celebrate New Zealand’s future.

We threw our support behind an existing petition from ActionStation, taking signatures from 15,000 to more than 35,000, and in September, Jacinda Ardern announced that, if re-elected, Labour would institute a Matariki public holiday. The first will be in 2022.

Wasp Wipeout

They’re a buzzing annoyance, a painful pest, and a backyard barbecuer’s worst nightmare.

And wasps are a threat to our environment and the economy, costing the country more than $130 million each year. Stuff and its army of volunteers is wiping them out, region by region.

Wasp Wipeout and the movement has expanded across the country, with volunteers baiting 10,000 stations — 20,000 hectares of wasp control and 500km of bait station lines. Where the bait has been laid it has had a 95–99 per cent success rate.

It’s a partnership with the Department of Conservation (DOC), the Tasman Environmental Trust, and Conservation Volunteers New Zealand targeting common and German wasps using Vespex, a protein-based bait designed to wipe out wasps with as little risk to other animals and insects as possible.

It’s also a community fundraising effort with Wasp Wipeout raising more than $200,000 towards clearing South Island forests. Work has also started in Wellington and Auckland.

Department of Conservation partnerships manager Martin Rodd said: “After visiting the Abel Tasman for some 40 years I can’t remember seeing bees on black beech trees during peak wasp season. Growing up I learnt to avoid black beech trees in the park, taking care not to bump into or grab a hold as I walked past in wasp season. It really does feel like Wasp Wipeout is making a difference beyond the visitor experience.”

As a result of Stuff’s campaign the pesky hum of wasps is making way for birdsong.

Laying bait to rid New Zealand’s forest of wasps. ROSS GIBLIN/STUFF

CHANGING LIVES

Dying wish granted

STEVEN WALTON

JOURNALIST

Battling terminal brain cancer, Trev Ponting wanted to return to New Zealand to see his family before he died. But he was refused an emergency MIQ spot — the same day The Wiggles were granted space. Officials told the 46-year-old’s family his request did “not meet the criteria for urgent travel”. Reporter Steven Walton highlighted Ponting’s plight and the system’s inequities, and within 24 hours the decision was reversed. “We’re just so grateful for all the support this has drummed up,” Ponting’s sister said. Ponting was reunited with his family in February 2021, and died two months later.

Trev Ponting was able to return to New Zealand before he died

Desperate plea heard

PIERS FULLER

SENIOR JOURNALIST

Young Masterton welder Aiden Sayer was almost killed in a workplace accident when a steel trailer deck tipped over and hit him in the head. The 21-year-old lost half an ear, was seeing double, and was in constant pain from a 3cm bladder stone caused by the catheter he had while being treated for his injuries.

Desperate after battling ACC for several months to get a procedure to remove the stone, Sayer shared his story with Piers Fuller. Within a few days, ACC overturned its decision and a week later, Sayer got his procedure.

Emma

STUFF CIRCUIT

There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when the Stuff Circuit team unveiled its documentary about our dear colleague Emma Barrett’s search for her Russian birth family. Emma, a film that was three years in the making, was a tonic in a difficult year.

Emma was adopted from a Russian orphanage in the 1990s. She has fetal alcohol syndrome and works as an administration assistant at Stuff. She knew Stuff Circuit was a team of investigative journalists, and came to them to ask for help to find her birth family. Of course they said yes.

But the Circuit team could not imagine the bureaucracy they would have to cut through to try to get Emma back to her mother country. It was an emotional rollercoaster: the highs of finding out that Emma did have a sister and mother alive in Russia, but that her mother was in prison, and her father’s whereabouts weren’t known. Then, during filming, Emma’s beloved adoptive father, Terry, was diagnosed with cancer and died before being able to accompany her back home. At the beginning of 2020, the team travelled to Russia with Emma to meet her family. The resulting documentary, released in November, saw us connect Emma with her biological sister in Russia, while Emma connected all of us with the power of optimism, grace and forgiveness. Truly one of the most powerful and emotional stories this year.

Emma found her family in Russia. STUFF CIRCUIT

OUR REACH

We uncover hidden truths, we hold the powerful to account, we pursue local issues that matter to you and we champion our communities.

Our journalist reach is unparalleled. We’ve worked hard to keep journalists on the ground in communities across the country. It may only be one reporter covering a small town but that one reporter can make a huge difference to the lives of that community, reporting on its issues, highlighting its good work, shining a spotlight on dodgy deals and showcasing the people who live and work there. At Stuff local journalism and being connected to communities is important.

JOURNALISM PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN SOCIETY AND STUFF HOLDS A SPECIAL POSITION WITH THE LARGEST NETWORK OF NEWSROOMS.

on the ground in:

NORTHLAND

WHANGĀREI

AUCKLAND

TAKAPUNA

HENDERSON

MANUKAU

WAIKATO

COROMANDEL

TAURANGA

ROTORUA

TOKOROA

TAUPŌ

NAPIER

TARANAKI

HĀWERA

MANAWATŪ

WAIRARAPA

WELLINGTON

LOWER HUTT

KĀPITI

MARLBOROUGH

NELSON

WEST COAST

CHRISTCHURCH

TIMARU

DUNEDIN

QUEENSTOWN

CROMWELL

GORE

SOUTHLAND

Covid-19 outbreak

LUCY XIA

JOURNALIST

A fresh Covid-19 cluster in Auckland in November saw rumours and blame rife in the community after the Ministry of Health claimed a new case was asked to work, despite awaiting test results. Mandarian speaker and Stuff reporter Lucy Xia secured an exclusive interview with the employer, who disputed the ministry’s account as a “distortion of the truth”. WorkSafe later confirmed it wouldn’t investigate the employer due to insufficient evidence of any wrongdoing.

A name change

The Manawatū newsroom led a campaign, in partnership with Palmerston North mana whenua Rangitāne, to reclaim the te reo name for The Square, raising awareness for its meaning and a change to Stuff’s own reporting style. Te Maraeo Hine now appears on Google Maps, and is used in event marketing by council and other groups.

Highlighting Pasifika voices

TORIKA TOKALAU

SENIOR JOURNALIST

Sharing stories from underrepresented communities is key to our journalism. Stuff is committed to not only more diverse reporting but recruiting more diverse reporters in its many newsrooms.

We want to shine a spotlight on those communities — Chinese, Māori and Pasifika and others — who have strong stories to share, stories we believe we can all learn something from.

Auckland reporter Torika Tokalau’s work elevates those unheard voices. She has canvassed concerns that not prioritising the Covid-19 vaccine rollout by ethnicity is unfair to Māori and Pasifika, and highlighted the need for vaccine information in Pasifika languages.

She has featured inspiring Pasifika people such as engineering student Halaevalu Tu’ipulotu Halanukonuka, who gives free maths lessons to encourage girls to take up STEM subjects, and Summer Simon’s journey to becoming the first New Zealand stylist at the London Pacific Fashion Week.

Tokalau’s work goes beyond Auckland. She is currently in the Cook Islands covering the opening of the travel bubble.

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For 163 years we reported on Tūhoe through a monocultural lens, often taking the side of colonial forces — from Te Kooti, Rua Kēnana, the anti-terror raids and Tame Iti. Iti was the face of Māori activism, often portrayed as a trouble-maker through that same lens. As part of the Tā Mātou Pono series Stuff apologised to Iti and invited him to comment on our coverage of himself and his people. National Correspondent Florence Kerr visited Iti with printouts of our reporting and sat with him while he read and reacted to it. The resulting feature changed the lens to retell Iti’s story.

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CONNECTING AND SUPPORTING COMMUNITIES

Backing tourism

Following the lockdown success of Stuff Travel’s Back your Backyard campaign, our travel writers charged up an electric car and travelled from the top of the country to the bottom, filming more than 100 travel stories with one aim — find the hidden tourist gems. Our travel industry had been devastated by closed borders, planes parked up in desert storage graveyards and Stuff wanted to support the industry and encourage its readers to get out and explore their own country. Travel writer Brook Sabin and photographer Radha Engling travelled from Cape Reinga to Bluff providing videos and stories to inspire readers to explore their own beautiful backyard. We also launched the Stuff Travel platform to help travellers dream, plan and book trips, highlighting the best deals on offer. Tourism providers have hailed Stuff’s support as a game-changer.

“We were thrilled with the reach and ultimately results generated by Stuff. To say we were overwhelmed by the number of bookings all within an extremely quick time frame is an understatement.”

KYLIE HOGAN, AORAKI MOUNT COOK ALPINE VILLAGE LTD.

Stuff travelled the length of Aotearoa to reveal its delicious local secrets. BROOK SABIN/STUFF

Shields up!

As new highly transmissible Covid-19 strains threatened new lockdowns, Stuff launched a Stop! Scanner Time! campaign to remind Kiwis of the importance to keep scanning QR codes, should there be a community outbreak.

Getting in behind

With the 2020 Central Districts Field Days cancelled due to Covid-19, the Stuff Events team was committed to making the 2021 event better than ever for its 30,000 attendees. Contributing tens of millions to the local economy, CDFD plays an important role in supporting livelihoods.

SHARON MURDOCH

Coming together, while apart

Auckland’s February lockdown meant the 2021 Round the Bays, with 27,000 runners signed up, had to be cancelled the night before. But the Stuff Events team charged forward, creating a virtual event to ensure people could take part in Round the Backyard. Participant Isoa Kavakimotou said it was a huge part of his fitness journey. “I hadn’t been able to work out much after being in hospital with a bad infection. I wasn’t able to lose the 40kg I wanted to before doing it, but I persevered and did Round the Bays’ virtual event with my gym team. Not only did I inspire others to do the event — If I can, anyone can — my finishers medal is the first one I’ve ever received.” $60,000 was donated to event partner Auckland City Mission.

Helping businesses prosper

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and they have done it tough for the past year. That’s why Stuff launched Prosper, a new specialist section dedicated to supporting small businesses.

To help businesses get back on their feet we focused on providing tangible support and guidance, substantial discounts and promotional offers to those who advertised.

Of all the businesses that exist in New Zealand, 97 per cent are small — they are owner operators of firms with fewer than 20 staff. One third of all Kiwis in jobs work for one of these small businesses. One third of the country’s entire GDP is generated from the efforts of these businesses.

Prosper brings information and expert advice on how to survive and thrive in business. It was, and continues to be, a lifeline for many small operators through daily stories, live chats with experts and a regular newsletter.

Stuff Ads — a new self-service advertising platform was also launched to help small businesses get their products and services in front of Stuff’s audience at a time when they needed it most. It also gives NZ businesses a credible way to reach customers, without Facebook.

Small businesses like Yuli Lin and Brendan Rivalin’s Hungry Eyes cafe struggled in the pandemic. CHRISTEL YARDLEY/STUFF

Celebrating inspiring wāhine

Stuff and Westpac’s annual Women of Influence programme champions inspiring women making a positive difference at home and abroad, in business, philanthropy, innovation, diversity and more.

2020 WINNERS

Opening up homes for charity

When NZ House & Garden Tours attendees go beyond the pages of the magazine to discover beautiful and inspiring homes they also support Stuff’s long-standing partnership with Breast Cancer Foundation NZ. The 2021 season saw $112,000 cash donated by Stuff and $22,000 fundraised for the charity. A further $120,000 advertising package also enables the organisation to recruit 10,000 volunteers for the Pink Ribbon Street Appeal.

Being Neighbourly

In June Neighbourly launched Local Likes, a campaign calling for Kiwis to help businesses thrive by nominating their favourite local to win thousands of dollars of free Stuff advertising. Many of Neighbourly’s 890,000 members jumped at the chance to support their favourite community business.

“We receive no government funding so the financial donation Stuff makes is vitally important for Breast Cancer Foundation NZ to carry out our work supporting patients and investing in research.”

AH-LEEN RAYNER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION NZ