 Wordmark | |
 Screenshot of the Stuff main page, taken on 5 April 2018 | |
Type of site | News |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Owner | Stuff Limited |
| Created by | Independent Newspapers |
| URL | stuff |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Registration | Optional |
| Launched | 27 June 2000; 25 years ago (2000-06-27)[1] |
| Current status | Online |
Stuff is aNew Zealandnews media website owned by newspaper conglomerateStuff Ltd (formerly called Fairfax). As of early 2024, it is the most popular news website in New Zealand,[2] with a monthly unique audience of more than 2 million.[3]
Stuff was founded in 2000,[4] and publishes breaking news, weather, sport, politics, video, entertainment, business and life and style content from Stuff Ltd's newspapers, which include New Zealand's second- and third-highest circulation daily newspapers,The Post andThe Press, and the highest circulation weekly,Sunday Star-Times, as well as international news wire services.
Stuff has won numerous awards at theNewspaper Publishers' Association awards including 'Best News Website or App' in 2014[5] and 2019,[6] and 'Website of the Year' in 2013[7] and 2018,[8] 'Best News Website in 2019',[9] and 'Digital News Provider of the Year' in 2024 and 2025.[10][11]
The former New Zealand media companyIndependent Newspapers Ltd (INL), owned by News Corp Australia, launched Stuff on 27 June 2000 at a cybercafe inAuckland, after announcing its intention to go online more than a year earlier.[1][12] The development of Stuff was supported by Don Higgins, Corporate Development Manager and Mark Wierzbicki, founding Internet Business Manager. Advertising agencySaatchi & Saatchi conceived the name "Stuff", and INL had to buy the domain name from acyber squatter.[1] In its first month, the site had 120,000 unique visitors.[12] At the time, Wierzbicki described the name as a copywriter's dream, although he conceded that "it's not without risk, especially if we stuff up." The start up was built by a group of engineers from a few tech companies inWellington led by founding CTO and engineering manager Will Everitt and project manager Bill Alp and used a software platform from News Corp Australia'snews.com.au.
On 30 June 2003, INL sold its publishing assets includingThe Dominion Post,The Press, and the Stuff website toFairfax Media.[13][14]
Fairfax upgraded the website in December 2006, and again on 4 March 2009, adding the ability for visitors to personalise the homepage.[15] The first mobile phone news service from Stuff began in 2003, in a partnership withVodafone New Zealand. On 21 April 2009, Stuff launched a dedicated mobile site.[16]
On 1 February 2018, the parent company of Stuff changed its name from Fairfax New Zealand Limited toStuff Limited.[17] In July 2018 Stuff was merged intoNine Entertainment.[18]
On 25 May 2020, Nine Entertainment sold Stuff and its holdings including the Stuff website to Stuff's CEOSinead Boucher for NZ$1, with the transaction completed on 31 May. This marks the return of the company into New Zealand ownership.[19][20][21]
On 30 May 2022, Stuff updated its logo and brand colours.[22]
On 27 April 2023, Stuff confirmed that it would launch separate subscription-based websites for three of its newspapers:The Post,The Press, andWaikato Times. These websites will co-exist with the Stuff news website, which will remain free.[23]
On 17 January 2024, Stuff rolled out a new website and app with a new layout and design. It was immediately met with overwhelming criticism, due to a number of features and sections previously being available removed, including the search function and the technology section. The new design also caused a number of functionality issues, mostly around loading the new homepage with several users reporting the homepage to be stuck in a loading loop. A story posted by Stuff touting the new design and also seeking feedback received over 300 responses with about a dozen positive and the rest negative. Comments on this story were later removed. Since the rollout, traffic and readership has reportedly dropped by up to 20%.[24]
On 6 October 2024, Stuff Digital's Head of Growth Janine Fenwick confirmed that Stuff.co.nz would be reorganising its regional news content. Content from the Stuff Group's North Island newspapersTaranaki Daily News,Manawatu Standard and theWairarapa Times-Age would be hosted onThe Post's website while South Island newspapersThe Southland Times,Nelson Mail,Timaru Herald andMarlborough Express would be hosted onThe Press's website. This reorganisation was part of the Stuff Group's transition towards apaywall system, with readers being offered unlimited access to content onThe Post,The Press andWaikato Times websites for a NZ$1.99 weekly subscription fee.[25]
In December 2024, the Stuff website was reorganised under theStuff Digital umbrella, a division that also includes the social media platformNeighbourly and the evening news bulletinThreeNews.[26][27] In June 2025, online retailerTrade Me acquired a 50 percent stake in Stuff Digital and its assets including the Stuff website.[28]
Stuff.co.nz has won numerous awards at theNewspaper Publishers' Association awards (currently branded as theVoyager Media Awards) including Best News Website or App in 2014 and 2019,[29][30] and Website of the Year in 2013 and 2018.[31][32]
In July 2008, during the trial ofClayton Weatherston, press.co.nz, a subsidiary section on Stuff, accidentally ran the headline "Guilty of Murder" the day before the jury delivered the verdict. The article was quickly withdrawn, and Fairfax executive editorPaul Thompson said it was a mistake "we take very seriously."[33]
On 17 April 2013, to celebrate the passing ofsame-sex marriage in New Zealand, the colour of the Stuff logo was changed from black to the colours associated with thepride flag.[34]
In 2017, Stuff's first podcastBlack Hands received over 3 million downloads[35] and was the number one podcast in five countries. Stuff also producedGone Fishing withRadio New Zealand, which won podcast of the year[36] at the 2019 NZ Radio Awards.
In 2018 Stuff launched Quick! Save the Planet[37] to increase news coverage ofclimate change in New Zealand and in 2019 Stuff joined the Covering Climate Now[38] international initiative.
In 2019, Stuff launched an investigative journalism documentary series calledStuff Circuit with funding fromNew Zealand on Air. Notable titles and topics have includedBig Decision (abortion law reform),Life + Limb (New Zealand's military involvement in theWar in Afghanistan),False Profit (which focused on conspiracy theorist andNew Zealand Public Party founderBilly Te Kahika),Deleted (which looked at New Zealand companies alleged to be complicit in human rights abuses inXinjiang),Disordered (which focused on the treatment of people withFoetal Alcohol Syndrome), andFire and Fury (which looked at vaccine disinformation and conspiracy theories in the wake of the2022 Wellington protests). The documentaries are published on Stuff's website.[39][40]
In November 2019, Stuff'sLife + Limb documentary's coverage of unexploded ordnance onNew Zealand Defence Force firing ranges in Afghanistan prompted Prime MinisterJacinda Ardern to order the clearing of the ranges.[41][42]
