| Waikato Times | |
| Foundation: | 2 May 1872, Ngāruawāhia |
| Price: | NZ$0.90–1.70 (depending on day) |
| Type: | Daily newspaper |
| Owners: | Stuff Ltd |
| Editor: | Jonathan MacKenzie |
| Language: | New Zealand English |
| Sister Newspapers: | Hamilton Press |
| Issn: | 1170-0688 |
The Waikato Times is a daily newspaper published in Hamilton, New Zealand and owned by media business Stuff Ltd. It has a circulation to the greater Waikato region and became a tabloid paper in 2018.[1]
The newspaper has won the title of New Zealand Newspaper of the Year (in the category of up to 30,000 circulation) for two consecutive years: 2018 and 2019.
The Waikato Times started out as the tri-weekly Waikato Times and Thames Valley Gazette, first published by George Jones[2] on 2 May 1872 in Ngāruawāhia but moved to Hamilton in 1875.[3] It was then managed by Messrs Langbridge, Silver, E. M. Edgecumbe, George Edgecumbe and J. S. Bond, who ran a book and stationery shop and changed the Times from tri-weekly to a penny daily in 1896, using Press Association news.[4]
For 20 years it competed with the Waikato Argus, until the papers merged in 1915.[5] The paper changed from afternoon to morning production from 5 September 2011, though had changed its Saturday issue in 2003.[6]
The Times had an audited net daily circulation of 11,633 copies at March 2021.[7]
Allan Hawkey produces opinion cartoons for the newspaper.[8]
Papers Past has 2 May 1872 to 31 December 1892 issues in a searchable form on-line.[9] Hamilton reference library has microfilm copies of the Waikato Argus (29 Aug 1896 – 27 December 1902, 23 January 1903 – 30 April 1909, 1 June 1909 – 4 December 1914)[10] and Waikato Times from 1872.[11]
On 27 April 2023, Stuff confirmed that it would launch separate subscription-based websites for The Waikato Times and two of its other major newspapers, The Post and The Press. Previously, the newspaper had been hosged on the free Stuff news website.[12]
The Hamilton Press is a weekly newspaper, delivered on Wednesdays, in the city of Hamilton.[13] It is one of many free weekly, or bi-weekly Neighbourly newspapers, which, since 2014, have been printed by Stuff.[14] They also include Cambridge Edition, Franklin County News, Matamata Chronicle, Piako Post (Morrinsville-Te Aroha area), South Waikato News and Taupō Times.[15]
| 2019 | Voyager Media Awards Best newspaper with circulation of up to 30,000 | Winner[16] | |
| 2018 | Voyager Media Awards Best newspaper with circulation of up to 30,000 | Winner[17] | |
| 2014 | Voyager Media Awards: Best Video | Joint winner with Stuff[18] | |
| 2009 | Qantas Media Awards: Best Website Breaking News Story | Joint finalist with Stuff[19] |
In 2018, Waikato Times journalist Ruby Nyika won Student Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards. The same year, Donna-Lee Biddle was runner-up for the Regional Journalist of the Year Award, and won the award for Feature writing - crime, justice and / or social issues.
In 2019, Waikato Times columnist Max Christoffersen won the Opinion Writing (General) Award at the Voyager Media Awards. Christoffersen had died two months prior to the awards ceremony.[21] [22]