Newsroom (website)

The original website at newsroom.co.nz was launched by Peter Fowler on 21 November 1996 and was called NewsRoom.{{cite news |title=A Newsroom is born |first=Peter |last=Fowler |date=20 November 2021 |url=https://newsroom.co.nz/2021/11/20/a-newsroom-is-born/ |work=Newsroom |access-date=23 May 2024}} It aggregated breaking news and press releases.{{cite web |url=http://www.newsroom.co.nz/ |title=Welcome to Newsroom |publisher=Newsroom |url-status=deviated |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/19970415123226/http://www.newsroom.co.nz/ |archive-date=15 April 1997 }} Fowler sold it to NZX in 2007, and they sold it to Craig Pellett's company Sublime (now called Streamline) in 2014.{{cite press release |date=24 January 2014 |title=Sublime Group Ltd to acquire Newsroom from NZX |url= https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1401/S00357/sublime-group-ltd-to-acquire-newsroom-from-nzx.htm |agency=Scoop |access-date=23 March 2024}} Pellett's company sold it to Newsroom NZ Ltd in 2017.

The current website launched on 13 March 2017, with a promise to cover "the things that matter" and the hope of being a "New Zealand version of The Guardian".{{Cite web|url=http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/201836360/new-outlet's-egg-scoop-raises-big-issues|title=New outlet's egg scoop raises big issues |date=13 March 2017|website=RNZ }} Its initial funding came from four "foundation sponsors", including the University of Auckland and Victoria University of Wellington. The site launched with a group of 16 writers. The site was founded by Tim Murphy, the former editor in chief of the New Zealand Herald, and Mark Jennings, former head of news and current affairs at Newshub. Its first scoop accused an egg supplier of passing off caged eggs as free-range.{{Cite news |last=Venuto |first=Damien |url=http://stoppress.co.nz/news/newsroom-not-afraid-rattle-cage-full-site-launches |title=Newsroom not afraid to rattle the cage as full site launches |date=2017-03-14 |work=StopPress |publisher=SCG Media |access-date=2017-11-01 |language=en}}

Newsroom broke two significant stories that influenced the 2017 New Zealand general election. On June 20, 2017, the site revealed the clandestine recording of a staff member working for the MP Todd Barclay, in an article titled "Politicians, police, and the payout".{{Cite news|url=https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/06/19/34825/the-politician-the-police-the-payout|title=The politicians, the police, and the payout|date=2017-06-20|work=Newsroom|access-date=2017-10-31|language=en-AU}} The article explored the extent of the police investigation and the involvement of then Prime Minister Bill English. Newsroom described the staff member involved as having been paid "hush money" from the Prime Minister's budget. Several days later, Barclay announced that he would not stand for re-election.

In collaboration with the Financial Times, Newsroom raised an issue with the background of Chinese National Party MP Jian Yang.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/09/13/46657/national-mp-trained-by-chinese-spies|title=National MP trained by Chinese spies|date=2017-09-13|work=Newsroom|access-date=2017-10-31}} The site reported that the Security Intelligence Service had scrutinized Yang and that in an interview with the Financial Times in 2011, Yang had confirmed that he attended two military institutions that Newsroom described as "elite Chinese spy schools". The Financial Times says one of the schools is part of China's military intelligence apparatus, training linguists to intercept foreign communications. Yang was a lecturer at the Foreign Language Institute and his immigration file shows he taught the English language and American studies. Yang claimed he taught his students to simply monitor communications, rather than carry out "the physical act of spying".{{Cite news |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/96800358/national-mp-jian-yang-slams-defamatory-claim-he-was-trained-by-chinese-spies|title=National MP Jian Yang taught English to Chinese spies but was not a spy himself|date=13 September 2017|work=Stuff.co.nz|access-date=14 September 2017 |quote=I was a civilian officer, paid by the military but I had no rank. I was a lecturer.}} He conceded he could be seen as having taught spies.[http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11937380 Matt Nippert: Three unanswered questions about our spy-trainer MP] The New Zealand Herald later reported that Yang did not disclose his links to the schools in his citizenship applications.{{Cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11932407|title=Jian Yang didn't disclose Chinese intelligence connections in citizenship application |last=Nippert|first=Matt|date=2017-10-12|work=The New Zealand Herald |access-date=2017-10-31|language=en-NZ |issn=1170-0777}}

Newsroom partnered with the international survey firm SSI to conduct its first election poll.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/09/08/46799/labour-gap-women|title=Labour opens gap with women, young |date=2017-09-08 |work=Newsroom |access-date=2017-11-01}}

Newsroom was jointly awarded the 'Website Of The Year' award along with Stuff at the 2018 Voyager Media Awards.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2018/05/11/108852/newsroom-judged-website-of-the-year|title=Newsroom judged Website of the Year|date=2018-05-12|work=Newsroom|access-date=2018-05-12|language=en-AU}}

Newsroom Pro is an online subscription news service based in Wellington. It reports on parliament and the Beehive. Its editor is Jonathan Milne.

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In September 2017, Sir Ray Avery brought claims against Newsroom under the Harmful Digital Communications Act regarding a series of articles that alleged Avery had tried to suppress clinical studies regarding his Acuset IV flow controller. Netsafe chose not to pursue the complaint after Newsroom refused to redact the articles.{{cite web|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/366740/netsafe-won-t-pursue-sir-ray-avery-s-complaint-over-media-website|title=Netsafe won't pursue Sir Ray Avery's complaint over media website|author=Gia Garrick|date=2019-09-18|publisher=RNZ}}

In 2017, Winston Peters served legal documents against co-editor Tim Murphy regarding the leaking of information regarding Peters' superannuation payments.{{cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/98811989/high-court-hearing-to-begin-over-super-leak|publisher=Stuff|author=Tommy Livingston|date=2017-11-13|title=Winston Peters' lawyers aim sights at journalists involved in leak}}

In March 2022, Newsroom was criticised for its uncritical and sympathetic coverage of extremist and fringe organisations behind the 2022 Wellington protests.{{cite web|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/mediawatch/audio/2018832928/newsroom-accused-of-publicising-anti-vax-pr-pitch|author=Hayden Donnell|publisher=Radio New Zealand|date=2022-03-06|title=Newsroom accused of publicising anti-vax PR pitch}}{{cite web | url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/02-03-2022/giving-a-voice-to-voices-for-freedom | title=Giving a voice to Voices for Freedom | date=2 March 2022 |website=The Spinoff }}

• Mass media in New Zealand

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• {{official website}}

Category:New Zealand news websites

Category:Internet properties established in 2017

Category:2017 establishments in New Zealand

Category:Podcasting companies