An overview of NZ media syndication in 2026
How your company or organisation’s story can make the news...in lots of places.
What is content syndication?
Content syndication, or media syndication, is when a story originally published in one place (whether it’s in print, video or audio) is reproduced in a different publication with permission. We’re talking editorial or earned media stories, not paid promotional content.
You may have heard of organisations like the Associated Press (AP), Bloomberg or Reuters – these are global news agencies that provide news coverage to subscribers, which then have the license to publish them. Links at the bottom of the reproduced story credit the original.
Syndication can also be internal, when an integrated media company owns multiple publications (eg, how Stuff is the umbrella company for The Press, The Post and other regional papers like The Nelson Mail or The Waikato Times).
Content syndication means it’s possible for stories to be shared widely across multiple traditional media platforms and formats. News can be shared more quickly, as each outlet doesn’t need to take the time or resources to individually produce an essentially duplicate story. This is particularly important when there’s national-level breaking news.
Where are stories syndicated in New Zealand?
This is not an exhaustive list, but here’s some of the main organisations that syndicate content:
Stuff: Syndicates stories across its umbrella network of regional papers. They also syndicate video news and photography to the nightly ThreeNews bulletin.
RNZ: Syndicates stories to TVNZ / 1 News, Stuff publications, Otago Daily Times publications and other online news sites like The Spinoff.
Local Democracy Reporting (LDR): All local council and similar organisation stories written by the LDR programme’s journalists is free to all New Zealand media organisations that apply to access it and meet a range of criteria.
NZME: Shares its content across its own network of titles like The NZ Herald, NewstalkZB, BusinessDesk, Bay of Plenty Times, Gisborne Herald, Whanganui Chronicle and more.
Allied Media (the 2025 merger of Allied Press and Star Media): Following the merger of its content from the Otago Daily Times and network of community newspapers across the South Island, notably the Greymouth Star, Oamaru Mail, The Star and Southland Express, plus magazines like Kiwi Gardener and 03: The South Island Lifestyle Magazine.
Community Access Media Alliance: The national body for New Zealand’s 12 independent Community Access Media radio stations. Shows on these stations can be shared with each other, and are also available for streaming on international apps like Spotify and Apple Podcasts when applicable.
What are the benefits of syndicated stories?
Greater positive reach for your organisation. Your good-news or success story that’s initially run in your regional publication can spread to other regions, getting your name and brand story in front of new audiences and potential customers.
Cost-effective marketing. Without having to pay more for additional coverage, you get increased visibility, whether that’s in print or online (or both!).
Potential revenue generation. Greater spread of your news means more eyes on your product, organisation and your point of difference – and more enquiries, sales and positive knowledge of who you are.
SEO benefits. When syndicated stories include that URL back to the original content, that contributes to the story’s SEO performance and helps it rank better in online searches – eg, Google and AI search tools.
What are the risks of syndicated content?
Bad news can also spread more widely. In the unfortunate situation when there’s a bad news story, particularly when there’s wider regional or national relevance, this can potentially grow beyond your local media environment to other publications – even when you don’t want it to.
Loss of control over your brand presentation. Publications don’t typically let you know when a story has been syndicated, and you aren’t able to control the style of how other publications publish the story.
Risk to SEO duplication. If not formatted correctly, syndicated articles can register as duplicates, which can negatively impact how your online search ranking, ie your SEO.
So...is story syndication good or bad?
Knowing what media an outlet syndicates and to where can help you tailor your story for a particular publication. Having good print and video options on hand, plus ensuring there’s a strong local-national angle in your story, can increase your chances of success for syndication in print and online. A little bit of investment and strategic planning up front can ensure the greatest impact.
It’s also good to be aware of the risks of syndication and how your brand presents itself – a throwaway comment or misunderstanding can unintentionally spread beyond locally-based media if not handled properly.
In short, as with most things, syndication is a bit of both – but it’s certainly a valuable opportunity.