OPINION: Publisher Stuff and lobby group Federated Farmers both like to preach about their respective high-minded virtues – Stuff, about “funding journalism”, Feds about “supporting our farming communities”.
How ironic then that these two have teamed up to do the exact opposite of their respective virtue signalling.
Rural publishers invest a lot of dough funding rural journalism.
Stuff plans to undercut this business model by investing – wait for it – absolutely nothing in rural journalism.
How? Because Feds have enabled them, letting Stuff undercut the market, in return for a glorified newsletter – a vanity soapbox project cooked up in a plush Wellington office paid for by the same farmers that proper rural publishers serve, week-in, week-out.
So much for “funding journalism” and “supporting rural communities”!