Craccum Wars: A Funding Menace

Episode I of a series

Attack of the Budget Cuts

Craccum Magazine is currently in the middle of a dispute with its parent body, Te Rōpū Kahikatea – Auckland University Students’ Association (TKR AUSA), over concerns about funding, future direction, and editorial freedom.

The flashpoint: a proposed 22% cut in next year’s budget allocation,  according to the recent Student Levy allocation proposal. Although TKR AUSA was meant to advocate for the student magazine’s long-term interests, it appeared they had both fallen short in negotiating a higher budget from the University and failed to deliver the full allocation Craccum was due.

This is because in the 2025 CSSF funding proposal document, the University earmarked $150k worth of students' fees for Craccum to be a “weekly” print publication, yet there was only enough funding allocated to the Craccum team for 9 print issues. Before now, it was unclear what exactly had happened to Craccum's budget.

The Leak Strikes Back

Although the University's documents had claimed $150k was allocated for Craccum, in reality, it turns out they only paid TKR AUSA just under $120k. We have submitted an OIA request to confirm this with no response from the University yet, but available data suggests that the level of funding provided by UOA did not vary significantly from what they have provided in previous years.

Leaked TKR AUSA documents obtained by Craccum reveal that TKR AUSA made the decision to cut Craccum's budget effectively in half, resulting in a reduction of print issues from 21 to 9 and the number of staff from 14 to 7.

Within the same leak, it was revealed that TKR AUSA General Manager David Fulton has recommended converting Craccum into TKR AUSA’s in-house magazine to “connect content to TKR AUSA’s ambitions and goals." His proposal includes further cuts, with the hiring of a single permanent non-student Editor directly answerable to the General Manager to run Craccum. Fulton also advises that this change should be coupled with a further reduction of Craccum's print issues to just three per year.

This proposed change would remove the "student" from our student magazine, putting an end to 98 years of tradition, where Craccum has been run for students by students. Craccum is and has been helmed by student editors with 12-month terms. Taking that away denies students the journalistic opportunities and work experience provided by the annual cycling of the magazine's staff.

This change also seemingly entails that Craccum be taken out of the portfolio of TKR AUSA's student-elected Engagement Vice-President (who currently chairs the Craccum Administrative Board) and put into the hands of TKR AUSA's professional staff.

In the alternative, if his proposal can't be done, TKR AUSA's General Manager advises to “kill it” since he claims Craccum “is incredibly poor value for money as no one reads it."

However, at least 1000 UOA students regularly read and follow Craccum, as the magazine has had a 96.3%+ pick-up rate in 2025 (a 12.5% increase increase in engagement over the previous year's average despite the budget cuts).

A concerned Craccum staff member has reacted to this leak: “The choice of language with the prejorative "kill", rather than a more professional choice of 'discontinue' or 'cease publication', is very telling of the agenda and bias against Craccum in TKR AUSA. This negative bias is only corroberated by the use of misleading and inaccurate data about Craccum's current levels of engagement."

Craccum staff warn that if these plans came into effect, it would result in a devastating loss for UOA's student culture and transform the magazine into an AUSA propaganda outlet, undermining its role as an independent platform meant to hold both the Association and the University accountable.

Indeed, these plans go against the University of Auckland's own vision for Craccum magazine and why "publications produced by and for students" are "essential" at the University:

"A strong student voice is essential at the University. Publications produced by and for students allow students to showcase their achievements and share authentic insights into life as a student with one another." (Source: UOA CSSF Funding Proposal 2026)

Concerned Craccum staff argue that these plans only underscore the recent concerns about TKR AUSA's ability to be a good-faith kaitiaki (guardian) for Craccum. They say that TKR AUSA’s control of their governance and finances leaves Craccum’s mandate under a tightening chokehold and that immediate reform is needed.

• Furthermore, Kate, Taumata Rau, and Ubuntu magazines are yet to be published by TKR AUSA. These special annual issues are funded from the money UOA provides TKR AUSA to publish Craccum.

Craccum has sought a full breakdown and clarification of TKR AUSA’s 2025 budget through Finance & Operations Vice-President Praneel Gupta, but received no response as of publication. According to TKR AUSA’s minutes, the current Executive passed the final budget on 12 December 2024 at a meeting chaired by Gupta. The unanswered request raises fresh questions about transparency and decision-making when there was a lack of consultation from TKR AUSA to the student body about the significant budget cuts and changes they made to Craccum earlier this year.

The question remains for TKR AUSA: Will there be a future for Craccum, and what will that future look like?