Back from the USA

AUCKLAND, Today: Four months after the Bauer exit,  North & South is back in business with a new team. Career journalists Konstantin Richter and Verena Friederike Hasel (both from Berlin) put in a bid for the title when it was first offered for sale. Twelve weeks later they were told theirs was the winning offer.

They’ve now appointed an editor – Rachel Morris, a founding editor of the award-winning US digital magazine HuffPost Highline, will leave Washington DC to return to New Zealand and become the editor of North & South.

The new team includes:

• NZ Institute of Architects design manager Imogen Greenfield will be the art director.
• Martine Skinner, former head of marketing at Bauer Media Group, has been appointed general manager.
• Kelsi Hamilton, former senior account manager for the BBC in Australia, will take care of advertising sales.

Konstantin Richter: “As publishers we are deeply committed to the high standards of journalism that North & South has achieved in the past. North & South stands for investigative journalism and excellent long-form writing.

“We have found just the right people to make sure that the magazine will continue to thrive.”

Verena Friederike Hasel said: “These top talents have a deep understanding of what North & South is. At the same time, they have lots of fresh and innovative ideas. They are ideally suited to take the magazine forward and deal with the challenges that journalism faces in the 21st Century.”

“I’m excited to help put together a magazine that is endlessly curious about New Zealand.”

Incoming editor Rachel Morris grew up in Hastings. She went to the University of Auckland and got a Fulbright scholarship for the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York.

She returned home to New Zealand several times each year, working remotely and spending time with her family.

“I was so gutted to hear about the sudden closure of North & South,” she said. “There isn’t another publication in New Zealand quite like it, with its focus on feature writing and long track record of producing some of our best investigative journalists.

“So I’m very happy to be returning home and honoured to have the chance to help bring the magazine back to Kiwi readers. I’m excited to work with writers like Donna Chisholm, introduce some new voices, and put together a magazine that is endlessly curious about New Zealand.”

Imogen Greenfield, who will join North & South as the magazine’s art director, spent years in London and Munich, working for tech companies as well as for boutique design agencies.

“An opening date for the relaunch has yet to be set – but Morris vows ‘it will be soon’.”

After returning to New Zealand, she took a job as the senior designer for the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki. She currently works as design & creative manager for Te Kāhui Whaihanga NZ Institute of Architects.

Also on board are also Tana Mitchell and Emma Kaniuk, the design team at Akin Beauty Products NZ.

They’ll all be working from premises in Central Auckland – and still has some empty desks – they’re looking for a deputy editor and a social media/admin assistant.

An opening date for the relaunch has yet to be set – but Morris vows “it will be soon”.

We will start working there as soon as circumstances permit.

Conceived and launched by pioneering publishers Warwick Roger and Robyn Langwell in the 1980s, the monthly magazine chronicled New Zealand life for 34 years until the closure in April.

• northandsouth.co.nz
• All inquiries to: info@northandsouth.co.nz