About Us
Sun Media rocked onto the local publishing scene in 2000 with a free weekly paper The Weekend Sun, Coast & Country News and incorporating the Bay's boating and fishing mag Waterline. In the years since, the list of products has grown to include New Farm Dairies, Bay Driver, Life+Style, MySpace Magazine and Show Home Guide.
Created by partners in business and life, Claire and Brian Rogers, Sun Media filled a much needed gap for a lively, Bay owned and operated “local” paper. The couple brought huge experience into their new venture, having both had careers in newspapers, magazines and publishing. Supported by a skilled and friendly staff, Sun Media found immediate success.
The Weekend Sun set out to be different from the start, with bright, bold and brash editorial with outstanding advertising and graphic design. The community quickly embraced The Weekend Sun as its own, recognising not only the importance of excellent content, unrivalled coverage to every mailbox – but also its friendly, Bay-born-and-bred team, with its heart in the region.
Business flourished for advertisers with the excellent response to their promotions and The Weekend Sun quickly emerged as the leading source of weekend action and entertainment, stuff to do, places to be, things to see, plus a lively selection of columnists telling it how it is.
Coast & Country News is now the Bay and Waikato's leading rural publication, providing a vital news link for farmers, orchardists and lifestylers, with their country supply companies, contractors and rural service industries.
Waterline Magazine, the region's favorite watersport and boating magazine, recently re-launched for its 22nd birthday - bigger, brighter and with an increased circulation! Waterline holds a treasured place as a local glossy boating mag in the saloons and coffee tables of active local boaties, and clubs as a valuable and informative publication for the central North Island boating scene, loved for its longevity, honesty, balance and newsworthy content.
New Farm Dairies is New Zealand's most comprehensive guide for farmers planning a new farm dairy construction. It showcases a range of the newest farm dairies in the country, offering farmers a vital, in-depth reference for their own dairy products.
Bay Driver is our comprehensive motoring lift-out publication which covers new and used vehicle sales and information on the latest trends. It is published every fortnight, alternating weeks with our go-to guide for all things Life+Style.
MySpace Magazine is a unique free magazine launched to capture, captivate and motivate the energetic and increasingly growing local design, build and renovation market. When searching for ideas for your dream home or how to improve existing property with the latest styles and trends, look no further than MySpace!
Show Home Guide makes creating your dream home a little easier with this region's own smartly designed publication showcasing the latest Showhomes. It is a comprehensive guide for potential buyers celebrating the vision and practical skills of local people behind the scenes of the newest homes here in the Bay.
For more information call us at Sun Media, 07-578 0030.
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Journalists
Cayla-Fay Euinton joined the SunMedia team in 2016 after four years studying at Auckland University of Technology. She has a degree in Communications, majoring in Journalism with Honours. She studied in Helsinki, Finland, for six months on a scholarship and misses the snow. Aside from being The Weekend Sun's editor, Cayla enjoys writing personalised stories about health and emergency services, local successes, and trying her hand at just about anything. Outside of work, Cayla enjoys hula hoop dancing, craft of all types and traveling. You will probably see her with a ridiculous-looking white dog, Mia, in equally-ridiculous-looking outfits.
Letitia Atkinson has worked in the media industry since she was 15-years-old. She has worked in both radio and print and has been with Sun Media since 2011. As well as being the SunLive News Editor, she focuses on writing for SunLive and Newsie, covering the emergency services – police, fire, ambulance – as well as court, health and entertainment.
Hunter Wells is another migrant 'Jaffa' - His career has gone the full 360 degrees – first job was buying a lunchtime pie for the Chief reporter in a Dunedin newspaper office. Progressed to private radio in Dunedin, Auckland and Christchurch and Auckland again. He has spent the large chunk of his career in television but has returned to his roots writing newspaper yarns. Tauranga, Hunter has decided is his last move and he figured the BOP's the best place in the world for someone like him to stop.
Hunter promises to keep the secret of Utopian Tauranga safe from the rest of Auckland.
Kerry Mitchell has never really been able to decide where she wants to live but thinks Tauranga might be her last stop. She trained as a journalist in her home town of Auckland and has worked largely in print media, including community and daily newspapers and specialist publications, throughout New Zealand. Kerry joined The Weekend Sun team in 2017 and loves writing about anything that gives people the “warm fuzzies.” She has three young children, therefore has no spare time, but you can sometimes find her trying to coordinate her two left feet at a local Zumba class.
Sharnae Hope joined the SunMedia team as a migrant from the 'Tron' she is making sure to take lots of photos of the beautiful beaches and views that Bay of Plenty has to offer. In 2016 she graduated from the Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec) with a Bachelors of Communication and a National Diploma in Journalism. In Sharnae's spare time she likes to go on road trips, spend time with her friends, family and pets, and have her nose in a good Sci-fi/fantasy book.
Sam Gardner joined the Sun Media team in 2017 and writes mostly for SunLive with some regular contributions to The Weekend Sun. In 2017 she completed a Bachelor of Communication majoring in journalism at Massey University. After a three year stint with an entertainment-based radio she decided to make the move into journalism, and hasn't looked back. Sam is a proud Eastern Bay local, in her spare time you can find her at the beach, hiking to scenic spots around the Bay or spending time with friends and family.
Caitlin Houghton, also known as Caitie has moved to Tauranga from rural West Auckland. She graduated in 2017 from the New Zealand Radio Training School with a Diploma in Radio Journalism and has taken on the role as a SunLive journalist as her first official job. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends and attending off-road racing events.
Peter White is an award-winning journalist who knows the Bay of Plenty sport scene inside out. He grew up in Tauranga and has worked on newspapers in Auckland and Tauranga, as well as being media manager of the Blues, Auckland and North Harbour rugby teams. Peter loves to write about the talented young sportspeople we have in our region who are our future stars. He has also built up strong relations over the years with Bay of Plenty sporting royalty like Black Caps Trent Boult and Kane Williamson, All Blacks Sam Cane and Nathan Harris and Black Sticks Amy Robinson and Frances Davies, and looks forward to bringing you their stories.
Chris James: A passionate football and cricket supporter, media veteran Chris James is a new addition to the SunMedia newsroom and is often spotted on the sidelines on a Saturday morning. Chris is heavily involved in refereeing, coaching and umpiring for local teams, and has been kicking around the Bay for more than 20 years. He's been in journalism for the past seven years and comes from a broadcasting background, having spent time behind the mic in radio stations from Taranaki to the Bay. Chris also currently hosts a show on Tauranga's The Breeze.
Merle Foster joined Sun Media in March 2013 after two years overseas. Before this she was Katikati Advertiser's chief reporter for two years and started in Whangarei, spending two years as a newbie journo at the Whangarei Report. Merle loves writing communities stories and anything related to the primary industries. She writes for The Weekend Sun, SunLive and Coast and Country. And growing up on dairy farm, she's also involved in the annual New Farm Dairies publication. She holds a Bachelor of Communication Studies, majoring in journalism.
Regular Columnists
Brian Rogers Director of SunMedia Ltd.
Sun Media editor and director Brian Rogers enjoys a life on the water at the weekends and in any spare time he can find. Brian is a harbour warden and member of Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club.