Over the past decade, New Zealand has seen dozens of community newspapers shut down, newsroom roles cut, and programmes taken off air.

 A new discussion paper by former NZ Herald editor-in-chief Gavin Ellis warns that these changes are creating “news deserts” — areas where communities have little to no access to local reporting. The report highlights the Far North, Taupō, South Taranaki and Central Hawke’s Bay as regions already showing signs of reduced coverage, while parts of Auckland and Wellington are also affected.

The paper argues that without intervention, the impacts will become more visible during upcoming elections, with reduced scrutiny of local government and fewer reliable sources of information for voters.

So how widespread is the problem, and what are the possible solutions? Today, NZ Herald editor-at-large Shayne Currie joins me to discuss what the rise of news deserts could mean for New Zealand.

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