Few members of the creative community have the clout of Jennifer Ward-Lealand.

With an international reputation and one of the best known performers on stage and screen in this country, Ward-Lealand is in high demand as an actor (touring the country with In Other Words), director and intimacy coordinator.

She's prolific away from the spotlight too. A Companion of the NZ Order of Merit, a former New Zealander of the Year and President of performers union Equity NZ (the largest creative guild in the Aotearoa) - her voice wields plenty of punch. 

And she's using it to try impact change for her peers - starting a Change.org petition to urge media heavweights NZME to restore dedicated arts coverage to its leading masthead - the NZ Herald.

Ward-Lealand explains why she sees this bold move as a necessary step.

I don’t need to convince you that the arts are important. We know. We live and breathe it. But after extensive kōrero with arts publicists, producers, and those on the frontline, I am more concerned than ever at the decline of arts media, especially since COVID. 

In the NZ Herald, theatre now gets buried in the Lifestyle section. Whilst we appreciate and value this coverage, our artists deserve to be taken seriously, not purely reduced to celebrity profiles about their personal lives. Equally, artists shouldn’t have to write their own media content just to get a mention. 

This isn’t good enough. We need to come back to the idea that the work itself is newsworthy.

The arts are the lifeblood of our creative community, shaping the identity, and contributing to the economy and vibrancy of Tāmaki Makaurau and all of Aotearoa. 

Yet, dedicated arts journalism has been steadily eroded, leaving a void that must be addressed. 

The disestablishment of the NZ Herald Arts & Books editor role in 2019, the cancellation of TimeOut in 2020, and ongoing reviewer budget cuts have sidelined our sector’s voices. We have also lost The AM Show, Newshub Late, One News Late, The Project, The Café, The Pantograph Punch, among others. 

Without strong arts journalism, the stories of our creative communities will be lost. 

Many dedicated journalists now face job uncertainty, with up to 50% of lifestyle writers at risk of losing their positions. Some have continued writing unpaid reviews purely out of passion—but goodwill alone cannot sustain our sector. 

When I started my career, there were countless opportunities to build a public profile, and consequently audiences, via media. 

Theatre-makers had strong support in the media. Journalists attended rehearsals, giving audiences insight into the creative process. There were cast and crew profiles, feature articles, and—crucially—reviews that shaped public perception and ticket sales. It wasn’t just mainstream newspapers; suburban and street press also played a role. You could open a publication or turn on the TV and find coverage of the arts with ease.  

Today, it’s a different story. 

It’s even harder for emerging artists to establish themselves and they have to rely almost entirely on social media to promote their work. The decline of traditional media coverage has made it harder than ever to reach audiences. Ticket-buying behaviour has changed too - where marketing to a company’s subscriber base once secured 70% of sales, now it’s closer to 30%. The hustle to sell shows has intensified, yet mainstream media has largely abandoned us. 

Then there’s the issue of arts criticism. Reviews are increasingly rare. Thoughtful critique, written by knowledgeable reviewers, can make the difference between a sold-out season and empty seats. But in today’s climate, reviews - when they are given - seem to be more a matter “doing a favour for someone” rather than critical expertise. 

Real arts criticism needs to be restored. This issue isn’t limited to theatre. Professionals who work in dance, live music, and visual arts are facing the same challenges.  

If Auckland truly wants to be a thriving, world-class city, then it must have a thriving cultural landscape. We must support the arts - not just in funding and venues, but in media coverage. Melbourne’s The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald have thriving arts sections.  

Why shouldn’t the NZ Herald aspire to the same standard? 

We don’t go to Melbourne to look at the roads. We go for the art galleries, exhibitions, concerts and the theatre. 

If we want arts journalism to survive, we must engage with it. Read the reviews, share the articles, support the voices that champion our work. We must demand better. 

Now is the time to act.  

If we want a thriving creative city, we must demand that arts journalism - as well as the arts themselves - be treated as an essential part of our cultural fabric. Our stories, our work, and our contributions to Aotearoa’s identity matter. 

Let’s stand together, amplify our voices, and push for the reinstatement of a dedicated weekly arts section. 

The arts deserve better. Let’s make it happen. E tū tātou.