In 2006, New Zealand s daily newspapers ceased the
cooperative exchange of news stories through the
country s principal domestic wire service, the New
Zealand Press Association. Why was a 125-year
tradition abandoned and what were the consequences of
that decision? The author finds that the
restructuring of NZPA was a manifestation of
fundamental changes to New Zealand news media
companies that can be traced directly to market
liberalisation and the transition from local to
transnational ownership. New levels of competition
directly challenged the cooperative basis of NZPA and
change became inevitable. The agency adopted a
commercial model based on that of Australian
Associated Press and offered its services to all
media where, in the past, it had been limited to
newspapers. However, the absence of content from
contributing newspapers had measurable effects on
geographic coverage by NZPA and on the range and
quality of stories. It was an irretrievable loss.
cooperative exchange of news stories through the
country s principal domestic wire service, the New
Zealand Press Association. Why was a 125-year
tradition abandoned and what were the consequences of
that decision? The author finds that the
restructuring of NZPA was a manifestation of
fundamental changes to New Zealand news media
companies that can be traced directly to market
liberalisation and the transition from local to
transnational ownership. New levels of competition
directly challenged the cooperative basis of NZPA and
change became inevitable. The agency adopted a
commercial model based on that of Australian
Associated Press and offered its services to all
media where, in the past, it had been limited to
newspapers. However, the absence of content from
contributing newspapers had measurable effects on
geographic coverage by NZPA and on the range and
quality of stories. It was an irretrievable loss.