When the Gisborne Herald chose Publish to help overhaul its website in 2023, it marked a significant stage in the evolution of a publication that was founded almost a century and a half earlier.

Established as the bi-weekly Poverty Bay Herald in 1874 before undergoing a name change in 1939, the Gisborne Herald became New Zealand’s sole daily tabloid newspaper when it made the switch from broadsheet at the turn of the century. Now it has a slick new website to further engage and grow its audience.

Formerly housed on WordPress, the Herald’s trove of online content – in excess of 50,000 articles – was migrated as part of the transition to Publish. So, too, were its existing digital subscribers.

Utilising the Publish platform’s built-in subscription software, the Herald launched with a hybrid paywall model. Those who sign up for the free Basic Member plan can receive regular news emails and are permitted to view select content – some articles which are tagged “free to read”, as well as letters to the editor, family notices and event listings – without being required to enter payment information. Paying subscribers, who can choose to be charged monthly or annually, have full access to the site’s content, including digital versions of the daily paper, two weekly publications, its local events guides and other printed features.

Working closely with editor Jeremy Muir, the Publish team customised its out-of-the-box Nova theme to suit the Herald’s design needs – which included the creation of a custom section layout to best display the newspaper’s popular range of opinion pieces.

“We are really pleased with the functionality and presentation of the website, and had good feedback from readers when we made the switch,” Muir said. 

“We also appreciate the technical assistance we have had when needed and for development plans.”

True to its core business – “to connect people, to inform, to entertain and to provide a forum for discussion” – the Herald implemented the Publish comments module so subscribers can share their thoughts within articles. For moderation purposes, a filter flags potentially offensive language with site administrators and comments require approval before publication.

Subscribers can also contribute content via an event listing form that, when submitted, generates an article and automatically notifies an admin team that it is ready to proof and publish. This functionality not only encourages readers to create an account but also streamlines the production process.

As part of the lifetime platform support provided to all clients, Publish has continued to assist the Herald since the site went live – including technical assistance on a campaign to win back lapsed subscribers and convert Basic Members to paying subscribers. 

Gisborne heralded a new era by partnering with Publish. To learn how our experienced team helps businesses establish and grow their digital presence, get in touch today.