Paddy Gower finally lands his next gig

AUCKLAND, Today: It’s taken six weeks, five days and a s#$ %t-tonne of meetings, proposals, patient explanations and tears, but Aotearoa’s favourite everyman journalist Paddy Gower has finally landed a job – at Stuff.

The former Newshub presenter, reporter, panellist and host of the Paddy Gower Has Issues current affairs series is bringing his irreverent brand of give-a-f#$ k journalism to New Zealand’s largest digital news audience on stuff.co.nz, though no one is quite sure exactly what he’ll be doing.

“It will be the f#$ king news and it won’t be like anything we’ve seen before but where, how and in what way we show up is all still under development,” Gower says.

“I’m just extremely glad that I’ve got a job and that it’s with my friend Jon Bridges and we’re working with the news site which more Kiwis come to, to watch, listen and read the news than any other in the country.”

Bridges, former Executive Producer of Paddy Gower Has Issues, The Project and 7Days, will be Paddy’s enabler, keeping him on track making important stuff for Kiwis in their brand new media home.

“It will be the f#$ king news and it won’t be like anything we’ve seen before but where, how and in what way we show up is all still under development.” – Paddy Gower

“It’s an impossible task but we’ll give it a go,” Bridges says. “Expect lots of content, all of the time, in unexpected places. If anyone’s got any ideas about what might work, you can email them to paddy@stuff.co.nz.”

Paddy and Jon together are Believer Media because they truly believe in the news, and in Kiwis. They are joining Stuff Digital’s incredible line up of video talent, including Samantha Hayes, Laura Tupou, Jenna Lynch, Tova O’Brien, Lloyd Burr and Paula Penfold, and New Zealand’s best team of investigative journalists including Blair Ensor, Tony Wall and Steve Kilgallon.

Stuff Digital Managing Director Nadia Tolich says Paddy’s brand of sticking up for the people, holding the powerful to account and shedding light on the issues that really matter to Kiwis is the perfect match for New Zealand’s largest digital news audience.

“We fit hand in glove together and are both so stoked about creating the most innovative, interesting and irreverent multi-channel news content that our audiences won’t be able to miss,” she says. “That will make it an incredible platform for our commercial partners too, especially those who support great Kiwi journalism, love Paddy’s purpose and want to deeply connect with the heartland of Aotearoa.”

“This year, we created a new 6pm news bulletin in 80 days. Nailing Paddy’s new gig will be much, much quicker. In a fast-moving media world where innovation is the key to holding audience attention, speed is our friend and quality journalistic talent like Paddy and Jon is gold. And just like them, we f#$ %ing love the news too!”