Last year, Gryffin and I were faced with one of the first tough decisions we’d need to make as Co-Editors. Critic is funded by OUSA, and due to the increasing cost pressures they face, Critic changing to a fortnightly publication was pretty much all but confirmed. We fought hard to make sure Critic could stay a weekly publication, arriving at a compromise: we would print 36 pages one week, and 16 the next. Our thought process for Critic Lite* was to make sure you all get the best bits of the mag every week: headline news, puzzles, centrefold, some fun culture offerings and horoscopes. Not having full-length features every week also allows us a little more time to focus on crafting deep, investigative pieces that are more time intensive for staff. While I won’t spoil anything, I think you’ll love them.
We seriously appreciate everyone that chooses to advertise with us. Their support helps us make the mag each week – we quite literally couldn't do it without them. In saying that, we know there’s way too many ads in this week's issue. There was a fuck up with the ad department for the first 16-page issue. Consequently, we’ve had to cut content (primarily in news) that we would have otherwise wanted to print and move it online to our website (critic.co.nz) and our Substack (@criticmag). We promise we’ll have more substantive content going forward in Lite*.
At the end of the day, we needed advertising, and we needed to take the page cut. It’s disappointing, and we feel sad and frustrated that OUSA is one of many organisations facing mounting financial pressures. We want Critic to continue for years as a cornerstone of Otago student culture after we leave as Editors, and we thought that Critic Lite* and the main mag would still be able to deliver that kaupapa. Unsure if you’ve noticed, but we’ve been on our social media grind lately, and are trying our hardest to adapt to an increasingly digital landscape despite our roots in print media.
Print media in Aotearoa is becoming increasingly less common, in part due to increasing costs across the board. There’s staff to pay, paper to import and pay for, and many other miscellaneous costs: distribution, software, insurance, just to name a few. The point is, despite these challenges, Critic is proud to still be a print-based magazine. If we lose physical media, we run the risk of losing time-honoured parts of the student experience. What would happen to plastering centrefolds on your flat wall, scribbling on the puzzle pages in the library and that new paper smell when the magazines hit stands on Mondays?
We’re curious to know your thoughts on the changes, and welcome feedback – even if that’s just to express that you’re unhappy with the change. While we’re gutted we can’t offer Critic in the form that every student has known and loved for 101 years now, change is inevitable at the end of the day, and we’re optimistic this new chapter will still bring the same laughs, quality of content and art for the Ōtepoti student community.
