2025 is going to be a very big year!

Crux is enjoying our holiday break and we hope you are too.

But some things just get lost in the full swing of local journalism - such as helping you get your new or existing Crux paid subscription sorted.

Crux Substack is where all of our most detailed and important content now lives and to survive into the future we need more paid subscribers. Of our 40,000 regular readers less than 2% currently pay for our content. That's not sustainable.

Let’s be honest - Substack can be frustrating until we all get used to it. It’s kind of complicated - but good complicated.

Good complicated because of all the powerful features - like pausing subscriptions, gifting subscriptions, group subscriptions, the Substack app, notifications, a safe place for comments and discussion, exclusive content, passwords (or the lack of them!) and just lots of new stuff in general. It’s a whole new world and part of the solution for how strong local journalism can survive and grow.

It’s good complicated because you can self-manage these new features - bad complicated because like all good things it can take time to learn how to use these tools.

2025 is a local election year and quite apart from that there are many local issues coming to a head after years of debate and conflict. Only Crux can keep you fully up to speed, with a ring side seat, on what promises to be a very dramatic 12 months.

So - I’m around during the holiday period to help with subscription problems (new or existing) and questions. Apologies to everyone who has asked for help and not yet managed to fully resolve their respective issues. Now is the time to get that sorted.

Please do take some quality time to check out the excellent Substack help section. Don’t get frustrated - get smart!

Email me at [email protected] with any outstanding issues or feedback on the Substack project so far.

Most importantly - subscribe and get all of your friends and colleagues on board as well. Journalism in New Zealand will be in survival mode for some years to come - don’t let Crux become one of the mounting list of casualties.

Many thanks and Happy New Year!

Peter Newport. Managing Editor, Crux.

You can subscribe here.