News Release
From: Kapiti Independent News

Sacked Reporter to Broadcast Nationally

The sacked Kapiti community newspaper reporter K Gurunathan will go national with his case on Sunday morning.

He will be the focus of a Mediawatch report on National Radio after the news at nine o’clock.

Mr Gurunathan was sacked after series of stories outlining the claims of the former Maori landowners for parts of Paraparaumu Airport, which has been bought by Auckland developers.

In his most contentious article, Mr Gurunathan – known as ‘Guru’ throughout the Kapiti Coast – presented claims by Iwi elders that they had been ‘betrayed’ by Maori working with the Airport developers.

Kapiti Independent News understands that following controversy over the article, Guru met the Observer editor, Diane Joyce, and the local manager, Tony Young, but there was no demand for his resignation.

It is understood that when the matter went higher up the chain in the Fairfax organization, owners of the Observer, it was decided that stronger action would be taken.

Although KIN approached Ms Joyce and Mr Young for an explanation, both refused to comment.

Nothing has been said about the disappearance of the well-loved reporter in either the Observer, or the other community paper, Kapiti News.

Last weekend, a large crowd packed the Kapiti Community Centre in Paraparaumu to protest against Guru’s dismissal. A unanimous motion from the 140 people present called on the Observer to reinstate Guru, but the paper has not altered its stance.

Six of the 10 Kapiti Coast Councillors were at the protest meeting. And this week move the councillors sent a signed letter to Fairfax calling for the immediate reinstatement of Guru.

One of the six, Councillor Sandra Patton, says: ‘The Kapiti Coast District is now without any expert writer prepared to investigate and report to the community on issues in the Council chamber.’

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