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The image is a repeating pattern of the logo for The Bulletin, the Spinoff's daily morning news email
Image: Archi Banal

MediaMarch 30, 2023

What is The Bulletin?

The image is a repeating pattern of the logo for The Bulletin, the Spinoff's daily morning news email
Image: Archi Banal

Someone at The Spinoff has been getting up very early each weekday to showcase everyone else’s news since 2018. The result is The Bulletin, the Spinoff’s morning news email. Now that it’s five years old, it’s time to reintroduce it, explain what it is and why you should subscribe.

In March 2018, The Spinoff, an entirely digital media company in Aotearoa, New Zealand decided it should attempt to recreate the front page of a newspaper. It also decided it should do that using email. Not social media or holographic projection, not algorithms or AI,  and not video or podcast, but email.

What resulted was The Bulletin, a uniquely singular proposition in the news media landscape that sought to curate news and great journalism in one place and email that to people for free each weekday morning. What was doubly strange about it, especially for an online media venture, was that it would not only point people to its own great work but the great work of journalists and writers from different media outlets in New Zealand and recommend to people that they read it on those different media sites.

At launch, Toby Manhire described The Bulletin as a “small but important contribution” to “championing the best parts of the very good journalism produced in New Zealand” set away from the race for clicks and social media algorithms, curated by a human editor. 

Spinoff editor Madeleine Chapman, former Bulletin editor Alex Braae and current editor Anna Rawhiti-Connell at The Bulletin’s fifth birthday event in March 2023 (Photo: Jin Fellet)

In the least newsworthy statement you might find on this site today, almost nothing has changed except for the editors, some formatting and the “small” part. The Bulletin is now subscribed to by more than 38,500 people, is one of the largest newsletters in New Zealand and is read and opened half a million times each month. It now exists in a media landscape where newsletters and email are resurgent. We publish The Bulletin on Substack.

I am the current editor. Alex Braae was editor for three years before becoming the executive producer of TVNZ’s Q&A and then Justin Giovannetti took over. Catherine McGregor has joined me as a contributing writer and writes The Bulletin on Mondays and Fridays. I write it Tuesday – Thursday.

What is The Bulletin?

It’s an email newsletter that is delivered to you each weekday morning once you have signed up to receive it. It wraps up the key news stories of the day by drawing on sources from across New Zealand media, summarises them, links you to good writing about them and then leaves you be. Just as the paper becomes tomorrow’s fish and chip wrapping, we are very happy for The Bulletin to put in the digital bin once you have what you need from it.

Where can I see what this thing is?

Here is a recent edition.

How do I get it?

Simple. Add your email address below and it will start arriving from tomorrow and then every weekday. 

What do I get every weekday if I sign up?

Each day there will be a lead topic that explores a big issue in more depth broken into four clear and short sections. Sometimes it’s a Spinoff exclusive or something that’s been a bit underreported but is nonetheless important. Other days it might be about the economy, politics, climate change, tech or cultural issues. What we can promise is we spend a lot of time thinking about what is consequential and that most of the time, our lead is focussed on what’s happening in this country.

This is followed by short summaries of three other news stories, a section of quick links called “Click and Collect” to make sure we’ve covered all bases for you, including weather and international news, a selection of sports news and most days, a great recommended long read or feature.

It comes neatly packaged as one email. The lead will always be published as an article on The Spinoff each morning, but a solid two-thirds of The Bulletin is for those who subscribe. That two thirds is where you’ll also find the long read, a bad pun, something to lighten the load on heavy news days during heavy times and once a year, a photo of my dogs.

Who is it for?

  • People who love news and current affairs
  • People who care about the world around them
  • People who need to be informed of the day’s agenda and issues of significance for work
  • People who feel like they should be across news but don’t have spare time and want one place to find it
  • People who like good journalism
  • People looking for a little bit more context on current affairs or some further reading to get stuck into

Some people tell us they enjoy it over coffee or in bed, some people skim it on the bus, while others read it at night.

What does it cost?

Zero dollars. Zip, nada, nothing. Just your email address.

Who writes it?

Me, a former columnist and feature writer now newsletter junkie, editor and head of audience at The Spinoff, and Catherine McGregor, former deputy editor and culture writer at The Spinoff. 

Where can I hear more about this thing?

Hold the line caller – a live podcast recording of The Bulletin’s fifth birthday “In Conversation” event for Spinoff members in March was published as an episode of Duncan Greive’s podcast, The Fold.

When and how is it written?

Partially the night before, and then it’s refreshed and sometimes wholly written depending on breaking news overnight from between 4 and 7am-ish each morning. We track breaking news and big news, we watch Parliament TV and read press releases, Hansard and many, many reputable media sites here and abroad. We listen to breakfast radio and watch the 6pm news (both channels) and digest it for you. We link you to the stories and make recommendations on good explainers, rich features and worthy opinion and commentary. We do all this with a voice that has been unique to each editor but is consistent, trusted and familiar.

Why would anyone do this…

I was reading all the news anyway so this seemed like a way to profit off that. That statement is partially true but I signed up to do it because like all news tragics, I was a big fan and reader of The Bulletin and when asked if I was interested in becoming editor, I panicked and said omg, yes.  Catherine has joined me and we do it because it’s a genuinely rewarding service to offer people and a way to be able to tip our hats to the many journalists and writers we admire.  

Do you wear a dressing gown while writing it?

No comment.

Want to sign up to The Bulletin. Click here to subscribe and join over 38,500 New Zealanders who start each weekday with the biggest stories in politics, business, media and culture.  

Keep going!