AUCKLAND, Today: Stuff Group announced its first round of hires from Newshub today, with New Zealand’s top newsreader, Samantha Hayes, set to take on a new solo role. The fresh 6pm bulletin is set to start on July 6.
In addition to Hayes, six renowned Newshub journalists are moving over to Stuff to contribute to both the bulletin and Stuff’s broader range of news products. Important production positions have also been filled.
Journalists Jenna Lynch, Laura Tupou, Ollie Ritchie, Juliet Speedy, Zane Small, and Heather Keats are part of this impressive roster. Leading the team will be veteran broadcast producer Claire Watson, named Executive Producer of the 6pm bulletin, while Steve Gore-Smith shifts from his role at Newshub to become Stuff’s Director of Video Operations and Technology.
Samantha Hayes shared her enthusiasm about her new role: “I’m thrilled to be starting a new chapter of my career with Stuff, after nearly two decades at Three. It’s an honour to be anchoring this new iteration of the 6pm news and I’m grateful it will keep Newshub’s legacy alive.
This is the most exciting news project in the country and I hope our viewers will trust us and come along for the ride,” she adds.
Nadia Tolich, Managing Director of Stuff Digital, praised the high-caliber team joining from Newshub, noting their potential to enhance Stuff’s extensive national newsroom. “We are excited to have secured the top talent in the country to anchor our new bulletin.
“Everyone who works at Newshub are absolute superstars. That goes without saying.” – Juliet Peterson
“Samantha is an experienced and polished professional with brilliant skills and warmth. We are lucky to have her as part of the team.”
Tolich also emphasised the fresh approach to news delivery: “We’ve said right from the start that we are innovating not replicating, and that will be in the way we commission and tell stories, the technology we use and our ability to get to the news first, right around the motu, through our large team of Stuff journalists.
We are also evolving the way we engage with audiences, leveraging the scale of our reach on New Zealand’s largest digital news platform stuff.co.nz to bring the voice of New Zealand into the bulletin,” says Tolich.
Juliet Peterson, WBD Vice President, Head of Networks ANZ, expressed her excitement about the new 6pm bulletin’s rapid formation. “We’re very much excited to see the new Stuff bulletin come together,” she remarked. “This is a brand-new 6pm bulletin with some continuity from familiar faces from the Newshub team.”
She added, “As we said on the day we announced this bulletin, this is the future of news. As the most-read news organisation in the country, Stuff is uniquely capable of delivering a new 6pm bulletin for Three and ThreeNow. It will be hugely reassuring to know that when New Zealanders switch on the new bulletin, it will be Sam welcoming them.”
Peterson concluded, “Everyone who works at Newshub are absolute superstars. That goes without saying. Sam as news anchor has been a cornerstone of Three for so many years – having her continue on in that role is a fabulous announcement.”
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