After 25-years of production, Mana Magazine has stopped production after offers from its recent licensing company were rejected.
The former editor of Mana Magazine, Leonie Hayden. Photo: supplied
Mana Productions was established in 1991 to start up the Māori magazine.
Former editor Leonie Hayden said it was going to stop production in 2014 when Kōwhai Media Productions, which published New Zealand Geographic, put up its hand to take over the license.
Kōwhai Media had a three-year contract and engaged in conversations with Mana Productions six months before it lapsed this year, Ms Hayden said.
"We made an offer. Our offer was rejected. We upped it as much as we possibly could for a tiny family-owned business and made our final offer and that was also rejected."
Knowing its time publishing would end, Kōwhai Media still thought Mana Magazine would live on but they found out yesterday that it would be discontinued.
Ms Hayden said there was an appetite for its content to continue through other channels.
"There's a real desire and a real hunger to use more Māori voices and cover more Māori perspectives and I'd like to think that people will pick up where Mana left off.
"That kaupapa and that wairua has to keep going and I'd like to think that everyone in 2017 is really wanting that to happen and really willing that to happen," she said.
Mana Productions' website said it was now in control of the license again and was reviewing the future of the magazine but at this stage it would not be publishing it.
