Change is constant, but some things stay the same

Leafing through old copies of the National Business Review is like a rapid rewind through history – not just the history of New Zealand’s commerce and politics, but also of the title itself.

Over its 50 years of publication, NBR has changed its appearance and personnel many times, evolving and developing until in this, its anniversary year, shucking print altogether to go fully digital.

The move to a 100% online model was accelerated by Covid-19 but would ultimately have happened anyway. The media world changes – so does NBR. 

Half a century on from its first edition on August 26, 1970, NBR is clearly more than the sum of its parts, having survived different owners, offices, editors, and reporting rosters.

What has endured over those years is the demand for specialist journalism focused on New Zealand business and politics.

Today, as in 1970, it is what we do.

Because it is important

We do it because it is important. We do it because the people involved in this country’s business and politics are important. We do it because we believe it – and you – will continue to be important.

NBR ’s website on any given day carries a wealth of news, features, analysis, and informed opinion that reflects the vibrancy of New Zealand’s commercial and political environment.

There is coverage not just of the big end of town but also of the small businesses and entrepreneurs because we believe their creativity and drive is inspiring.

There is coverage of success and failure, because that’s life.

There are investigations in which NBR reporters probe deep into the undergrowth of some thorny affairs that receive scant attention elsewhere – notable examples include coverage of Fuji Xerox, Fletcher Building, Intueri Education Group, and CBL.

On politics, we believe our job is to promote sensible debate on policy rather than engaging in the personality-driven ‘gotcha’ style of coverage you can find in other media.

While it’s natural that NBR should be seen as taking a pro-business editorial line and would be perceived as having a right-leaning political perspective, business is a broad church and we believe NBR’s coverage should reflect a range of views.

NBR Rich List

NBR is also well-known for the annual NBR Rich List, a unique resource of information about who’s who in the business world.

The Rich List was first produced in 1986, a year now notorious for its financial excess in the run-up to the even more notorious 1987 crash.

Perhaps because of those origins – and its very name – the Rich List has often been criticised for appearing to glorify wealth as an end in itself.

However, the people who appear in those pages are rarely motivated that way and we have been spending some time thinking about how the list could change to celebrate the process of wealth creation, rather than appearing concerned only with the thickness of a wallet.

Those changes are now well under way and you can expect to see a new look and a new name in the new year.

One of the things that won’t change is NBR ’s desire to earn and maintain the trust of you, the reader.

It’s seen us through 50 years, after all.