Search begins for new The Post editor as Tracy Watkins steps down

After a brilliant 25 years with Stuff Group, The Post's Editor Tracy Watkins is moving on, prompting a search to fill one of New Zealand's most prestigious editorial roles.

Watkins, who has been a political journalist, political editor and editor with Stuff since 2001, will take up a job at Business New Zealand later this year.

Watkins began her career at one of Stuff's regional newspapers four decades ago. She covered national politics from the Press Gallery for 20 years, including more than a decade as political editor, before rising through the ranks to Sunday Star-Times and The Post editor. Over the past three years she has led The Post to become the country's fastest growing national news brand, a must-read for its journalism intersecting power, politics and economics.

"This has been the hardest decision of my life because this has honestly been the best job in journalism," Watkins says. "We have a brilliant senior team who have grown an audience of the country's most influential people through political news and analysis that you just can't get elsewhere.

"But after such a long media career, I am ready for a change. Can you call it a mid-career pivot after 40 years?"

Stuff Owner and Publisher Sinead Boucher says Tracy leaves with the company's gratitude for her excellent tenure as editor, and for building an outstanding senior team at The Post as it was renamed and repositioned from a newspaper in the capital to a news brand for the nation.

"Tracy has set The Post up as a truly influential national brand, a must-read for political and business leaders with more than 70% of its high-powered readership now outside of the Wellington region," she says.

"Her successor will inherit a brand that has the power to set the news agenda, an ability to produce quality journalism without fear or favour and a stable of some of New Zealand's best reporters and commentators. This is an excellent opportunity for one of the best business and political brains in journalism to step into the role and continue the fearless, independent journalism The Post is known for."

Stuff's Managing Director of Masthead Publishing Joanna Norris says Watkins has set the bar high.

"She has a highly attuned journalistic and political nous and she has been a brilliant colleague and leader, always challenging and lifting the bar to ensure her team produces journalism of extraordinary ambition and quality."