North & South (New Zealand magazine)

{{Infobox magazine

| image_file = August 2015 NZ North&South magazine cover.jpg

| image_size =

| image_caption =

| editor = Susanna Andrew

| editor_title = Editor

| previous_editor = {{plainlist|

Robyn Langwell (1986–2008)
Virginia Larson (2008–2020)
Rachel Morris (2020–22)
Kirsty Cameron (2022–23)

}}

| based = Auckland

| frequency = Monthly

| circulation = 27,724 *NZ Audit Bureau of Circulation (July–Dec 2009)

| category = Current affairs

| company = Bauer Media (2012–2020)

| founded = 1986

| firstdate = April 1986

| country = New Zealand

| website = https://www.northandsouth.co.nz/

| issn = 0112-9023

| title = North & South

| logo =

| image_page =

| circulation_year =

}}

North & South is a New Zealand monthly national current affairs magazine, specialising in long-form investigative stories and photojournalism. In an eight-page article in 2015, for example, "Long Walk to Justice", staff writer Mike White asked if New Zealand's justice system should establish an independent commission to investigate wrongful convictions.{{Cite journal|last=White|first=Mike|date=March 2015|title=A long walk to justice: The case for a Criminal Cases Review Commission|url=https://www.noted.co.nz/currently/currently-crime/a-long-walk-to-justice-the-case-for-a-criminal-cases-review-commission|journal=North and South}} Issues involving justice in New Zealand provide a theme for many of his stories for North & South. The editorial content also includes profiles of New Zealanders, brief stories, essays, opinion, music, film and book reviews, food, and travel.{{Cite web|url=https://www.noted.co.nz/currently/currently-currently/confessions-of-a-media-junkie|title=Confessions of a media junkie|last=Nicholls|first=Jenny|date=18 October 2019|website=Noted|language=en|access-date=2019-10-22}}

History and profile

North & South was launched in April 1986 by Metro Publications – Mick Mason and Bruce Palmer, under editor Robyn Langwell.{{Cite journal|last=Hannis|first=Grant|date=May 2009|title=Reporting Diversity in New Zealand: The 'Asian Angst' Controversy|url=https://search.informit.com.au/fullText;dn=797000433155616;res=IELHSS|journal=Pacific Journalism Review|volume=15|issue=1|pages=114–130}} ACP Magazines then sold to ACP.{{cite news |author=Merja Myllylahti |date=23 November 2012 |title=JMAD New Zealand Media Ownership Report 2012 |work=JMAD |url=https://www.aut.ac.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/107056/JMAD-New-Zealand-Media-Ownership-2012.pdf |access-date=27 July 2019}} Bauer Media NZ acquired the title in September 2012. Virginia Larson succeeded Robyn Langwell as editor in 2008 until 2020.

The magazine has won more than 300 journalism, photography and design awards, including multiple MPA Magazine of the Year awards, Citi Journalism Awards for Excellence and Wolfson Fellowships to the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.

In early April 2020, the Bauer Media Group closed down several of its New Zealand brands including North & South in response to the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand.{{cite news |last1=Edmunds |first1=Susan |last2=Nadkarni |first2=Anuja |last3=Cookes |first3=Henry |title=Govt 'could have given half-a-million' to help Bauer but publisher didn't want it, Faafoi says|url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/120754944/publisher-of-metro-womans-day-closes-in-nz-amid-coronavirus-woes |access-date=2 April 2020 |work=Stuff |date=2 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200402004757/https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/120754944/publisher-of-metro-womans-day-closes-in-nz-amid-coronavirus-woes|archive-date=2 April 2020}}{{cite news |title=Covid 19 coronavirus: Bauer Media closing - publisher of the Listener, Woman's Day, North & South |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12321789 |access-date=2 April 2020 |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=2 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200402005532/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12321789 |archive-date=2 April 2020}}{{cite news |title=Covid-19: Major magazine publisher Bauer Media closing down |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/413226/covid-19-major-magazine-publisher-bauer-media-closing-down |access-date=2 April 2020 |work=Radio New Zealand |date=2 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200402005652/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/413226/covid-19-major-magazine-publisher-bauer-media-closing-down |archive-date=2 April 2020}}{{cite news |title=Publisher of NZ Listener, Woman's Weekly, North & South to shut down |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/media/02-04-2020/publisher-of-nz-listener-womans-weekly-north-south-to-shut-down/ |access-date=2 April 2020 |work=The Spinoff |date=2 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200402012031/https://thespinoff.co.nz/media/02-04-2020/publisher-of-nz-listener-womans-weekly-north-south-to-shut-down/ |archive-date=2 April 2020}}

On 17 June 2020, Sydney investment firm Mercury Capital purchased North and South as part of its acquisition of Bauer Media's New Zealand and Australian media assets.{{cite news |title=Bauer Media NZ bought by Australian investment company |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/419186/bauer-media-nz-bought-by-australian-investment-company |access-date=18 June 2020 |work=Radio New Zealand |date=17 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618055702/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/419186/bauer-media-nz-bought-by-australian-investment-company |archive-date=18 June 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Edmunds |first1=Susan |title=Bauer magazines sold to private equity firm |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/300036475/bauer-magazines-sold-to-private-equity-firm |access-date=18 June 2020 |work=Stuff |date=17 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618055742/https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/300036475/bauer-magazines-sold-to-private-equity-firm |archive-date=18 June 2020}} On 17 July, Mercury Capital confirmed that it would be selling North and South to independent publishers Konstantin Richter and Verena Friederike Hasel.{{cite news|last1=Edmunds|first1=Susan|title=The Listener and other Bauer mags return — some may be gone for good |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/300059656/the-listener-and-other-bauer-mags-return--some-may-be-gone-for-good |work=Stuff |access-date=17 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717083047/https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/300059656/the-listener-and-other-bauer-mags-return--some-may-be-gone-for-good|archive-date=17 July 2020}}{{cite news |title=Bauer resumes publishing of The Listener and NZ Woman's Weekly after Mercury Capital takes over |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12348873 |access-date=17 July 2020 |work=New Zealand Herald |date=17 July 2020}}

In May 2023, the couple sold North & South magazine to School Road Publishing, part of the Waitapu Group, a New Zealand group of public relations and media agencies owned by Greg Partington. School Road also owns the digital title Woman+.{{Cite web |last=Dunkley |first=Daniel |title=School Road Publishing acquires North & South magazine |url=https://businessdesk.co.nz/article/media/school-road-publishing-acquires-north-south-magazine |access-date=2023-06-25 |website=businessdesk.co.nz |language=en}}

On 18 November 2024, School Road announced the magazine's print publication would be put on hold while efforts were made to improve the North & South website. The company blamed flat advertising sales.{{Cite web |last=Edmunds |first=Susan |date=2024-11-18 |title=North & South magazine to cease publishing temporarily |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/534110/north-and-south-magazine-to-cease-publishing-temporarily |access-date=2024-11-18 |website=RNZ }}

''Lange v Atkinson''

In 1995, North & South published an article by Joe Atkinson in which he called ex-Prime Minister David Lange lazy. Lange objected to this and other criticisms in the article, and sued Atkinson and the publishers for defamation. The subsequent case ran for five years, and resulted in the media being able to use a defence of qualified privilege when reporting on politicians.{{Cite web|url=https://globalfreedomofexpression.columbia.edu/cases/lange-v-atkinson/|title=Lange v. Atkinson|website=Global Freedom of Expression|language=en|access-date=2019-07-27}} This was a ground-breaking extension of press freedom, which was subsequently subsumed in a more general defence of public interest communication.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/359538/peters-lawsuit-not-some-rare-phenomenon|title=Peters lawsuit not some rare phenomenon|last=Cohen|first=David|date=13 June 2018|website=RNZ |language=en-nz|access-date=2019-07-27}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.lawsociety.org.nz/practice-resources/practice-areas/torts/the-new-defence-of-responsible-communication-on-a-matter-public-interest|title=The new defence of responsible communication on a matter public interest|last=Williams|first=Garry|date=31 August 2018|website=New Zealand Law Society|access-date=2019-07-27}}

Controversy

In November 2006, Deborah Coddington wrote a cover article, "Asian Angst", questioning immigration and referencing the high profile of "Asian" crime, talking of a "gathering crime tide" and an "Asian menace". Coddington's article attempted to justify this language by pointing to a 53% increase in police arrest figures for "Asians" over the last 10 years. However, she neglected to mention that the corresponding overall "Asian" population had increased by more than 100% in that time and that the arrest rate among that "Asian" population (which was already very low compared to the general population) had halved. A member of the general population was now four times more likely to be arrested than an "Asian".

Outraged reaction swiftly followed,{{cite web|last=Kean |first=Nicola |url=http://www.salient.org.nz/cover-story/when-silence-is-yellow-not-golden/ |title=When Silence is Yellow, Not Golden |publisher=Salient |date=5 March 2007 |access-date=8 September 2013}} and formal complaints to New Zealand Press Council came from the Asia New Zealand Foundation, the head of Journalism at Massey University and a consortium of mostly academics, journalists and ethnic Asian community leaders led by Tze Ming Mok.{{cite web |url=http://www.stevenyoung.co.nz/The-Chinese-in-New-Zealand/Identity/Asian-Angst-letter-of-complaint.html |title=Asian Angst letter of complaint | Identity |publisher=Stevenyoung.co.nz |access-date=8 September 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130207081429/http://stevenyoung.co.nz/the-chinese-in-new-zealand/Identity/Asian-Angst-letter-of-complaint.html |archive-date=7 February 2013 |df=dmy-all }}"Reporting on diversity in New Zealand: The case of 'Asian Angst'", Grant Hannis, Massey University

The following month, the New Zealand Press Council condemned Coddington's article and ordered North & South to print an apology.{{Cite web |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/4091378a10.html |title=Asian foundation wants apology for 'hostile article' - New Zealand, world, sport, business & entertainment news on Stuff.co.nz |access-date=12 June 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613112928/http://www.stuff.co.nz/4091378a10.html |archive-date=13 June 2007 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}{{cite web|url=http://www.tzemingmok.com/ |title=badmotherfisker |publisher=Tze Ming Mok |access-date=1 August 2013}}{{cite web |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?objectid=10444762 |title=Press Council condemns 'Asian angst' story |author=Oliver, Paula |date=11 June 2007 |work=The New Zealand Herald |access-date=27 September 2011}}

The Press Council found the language of the article "misleading" and "emotionally loaded". The Council stated that even though journalists are "entitled to take a strong position on issues they address ... that does not legitimise gratuitous emphasis on dehumanising racial stereotypes and fear-mongering and, of course, the need for accuracy always remains".

Coddington called the New Zealand Press Council's decision "pathetic".

Columnists and staff writers

File:Virginia Larson.jpg

A number of prominent New Zealand journalists have written for North and South.{{Cite news|title=Star Storytellers, Then and Now|date=March 2011|work=North & South}} These include:

{{Columns-list|colwidth=15em|