Corporate Responsibility
Fairfax Media takes its role as a responsible corporate seriously and believes in the importance of giving back to the communities in which it works alongside.
The company is a leading supporter of New Zealand’s key media industry events including the CAANZ Media Awards, CAANZ Axis Awards, CAANZ Effie Awards, NZ Marketing Awards, Fairfax / Ad Media Agency of the Year Awards, and Fairfax Media AWARD Copy School.
Other media events it supports include the Sir Terry McLean Awards, Aotearoa Students’ Press Association Awards and the Mike Robson Fellowship.
Fairfax Media also undertakes numerous charitable initiatives within the social sector, partnering with a range of community groups to benefit New Zealanders.
At a regional level, our newspapers support their local communities through sponsorship and coverage of sporting, cultural, artistic and charity initiatives.
Fairfax First Books 
The Fairfax First Books charity was established by Fairfax Media in 2006 to improve child literacy amongst pre-schoolers across New Zealand. Fairfax First Books has been recognised in the social sector for the tangible benefits the charity provides, winning the Robin Hood 2009 Prime Ministers Social Hero Award in the education and arts category.
Through Fairfax First Books, each child who attends a low decile NZKI kindergarten in New Zealand receives a book each term to take home and keep. Each term nearly 4,000 youngsters at 70 low-decile kindergartens across the country from Whangarei to Bluff are gifted with a book to spark their imaginations and feed their minds.
Also part of the initiative is the Fairfax Book Bank programme, which collects good quality pre-loved children's books from members of the community for NZKI kindergardens to use in their libraries, plus the “Have you read to your child today” advertising campaign across Fairfax Media’s extensive network of metropolitan, regional and community newspapers broadens awareness of the importance of reading among children and families.
Fairfax First Books is a multifaceted literacy programme that reinforces Fairfax Media’s core values of communicating, connecting and innovating by directly supporting its communities in literacy.
Ports of Auckland Round the Bays 
Since 1988 in partnership with the Auckland Joggers Club, Fairfax Media administers the Ports of Auckland Round the Bays fun run, which attracts 70,000 plus participants to run, walk or jog around the Auckland waterfront from Quay Street in the city to St Heliers bay.
Fairfax Media has a long and proud association with the annual event through its Auckland Suburban Newspaper network and Sunday Star-Times.
Net proceeds from the race benefit a range of different children's charities each year. Money raised from the 2010 race were donated to Ronald McDonald House, Waitemata Harbour Clean-Up Trust and Fairfax First Books.
New Zealander of the Year Awards
Fairfax Media is proud to be a presenting partner of the New Zealander of the Year Awards for the second year.
The New Zealander of the Year Awards recognise, encourage and reward New Zealand’s most vital asset - its people. The awards seek out and honour the incredible achievements of individuals, organisations and community groups who inspire us through their commitment, hard work and achievements.
The awards programme celebrates the contributions of New Zealanders from all walks of life and provides all New Zealanders with the opportunity to recognise someone who inspires them, makes them proud and embodies pure Kiwi spirit.
Nominations can be made in five award categories:
• Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year
• Countdown Senior New Zealander of the Year
• Coca-Cola Amatil Young New Zealander of the Year
• Mitre 10 Community of the Year
• Kiwibank Local Heroes
The Local Heroes Awards will celebrate one national winner and recognise Local Heroes at a regional level by awarding up to 250 Kiwibank Local Heroes medals in 25 regions across New Zealand
If you know an individual, organisation, or community you think deserves to be recognised by these awards we encourage you to nominate them. To nominate, or for more information, visit the New Zealander of the Year Awards website or get a nomination form from your local Kiwibank, Mitre 10 or Countdown.
Fairfax Media Business Hall of Fame 
Established in 1994 by the Enterprise New Zealand Trust, the Fairfax Media New Zealand Business Hall of Fame recognises and celebrates individuals who, through enterprise, have made a significant contribution to the economic and social development of New Zealand.
As a media organisation that is committed to being a beacon for talent and developing its future leaders, Fairfax Media identifies with the belief that it is people that make organisations great. Along with Fairfax Media’s committment to providing New Zealanders with first class business journalism, the Business Hall of Fame is a great sponsorship fit for Fairfax Media.
Fairfax Media congratulates the 2010 laureates and posthumous inductees, who were recognised at the Business Hall of Fame gala dinner on 28 July 2010.
• Exporter and investor Douglas Goodfellow
• “The Mad Butcher” Sir Peter Leitch
• NZ Safety founder Roy Savage
• Clothing pioneer Bendix Hallenstein
• Advertising dynamo Sir John Ilott
• Brewer Sir Ernest Davis.
Sustainable Business Practices 
Fairfax Media is committed to reducing its impact on the environment and engaging with its employees, business partners and audiences on the issues of energy use and climate change.
Some carbon reduction initiatives the company has introduced at key sites include using low energy monitors and PC’s and energy efficient light bulbs. Others include waste minimisation through sustainable purchasing and recycling, fitting timers to air-conditioning units and environmental consideration to fleet selection.
In partnership with Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Fairfax Media started the Sustainable 60 series in 2009 to share and reward excellence in sustainable business practice in New Zealand.
The series aims to help organisations understand what sustainability means in business and how it affects the bottom line. Fairfax Media believes robust, resilient and future focused companies are essential for New Zealand’s economy, especially in a tougher market.
Fairfax Media prioritises suppliers who also have a commitment to reducing their environmental impact, for instance its newsprint and magazine paper producer Norske Skog Tasman holds ISO 14001 international accreditation.
Fairfax Media’s newspapers are made from waste wood fibre that would otherwise end up in landfill. The newsprint is produced from timber waste and low value wood from a mill in Kawerau in the eastern Bay of Plenty. Fairfax Media source their magazine paper from mills that are FFC and PEFC certifiied. This means that there is a Chain of Custody in the process that ensures environmental compliance of the original wood fibre.