Experienced journalist Piers Fuller is the new editor of the Wairarapa Times-Age.
Fuller was the Wairarapa senior reporter for The Post and has had a wealth of experience in both large and small teams, including leadership roles over the past 20 years.
Stuff group regional editor Victoria Guild said it was fantastic to attract someone of Fuller’s calibre to the role.
Growing up in the Wairarapa, Fuller spent time as an English teacher in Taiwan before studying journalism in the early 2000s and starting his career at the Times-Age. The father-of-three has also had stints as editor of the community paper Wairarapa News and his current senior role for The Post.
“Piers is an exceptional journalist and experienced editor and is the right person to lead the Wairarapa Times-Age as it joins our stable of regional newsrooms across the country. He has a vast knowledge of local issues and a passion for the region he is proud to call home,” Guild said.
Fuller said it is a thrill to be returning to the masthead where he cut his teeth as an enthusiastic reporter fresh out of journalism school 20 years ago. “I genuinely love this patch of dirt we call the mighty Wairarapa, and it is an honour to be working with the team at the Times-Age to serve this community.
“I take my hat off to Andrew Denholm, the news directors, and the staff who have run a feisty independent newspaper in the provinces for the past several years and now is the time for an exciting new chapter.
“Under Stuff’s stewardship we can bring the resources, flair, and efficiencies of a nationwide news leader to keep this storied masthead strong in print, in digital, and even on TV, for many years to come.”
Guild said the position was keenly contested which showed what a valued role the Times-Age has in its community.
“We are excited to be able to continue the legacy of the Times-Age as a strong voice for local issues.”
Fuller will take up his new role on June 24.
Stuff Group acquired the Wairarapa Times-Age masthead, including its digital news site and daily and community newspapers from National Media Ltd in May. At the time of the purchase, no one held the role of editor.
The masthead’s joined Stuff’s portfolio of regional and local news products, which together form New Zealand’s largest regional news network.
