The Christchurch Chronicle

We believe privacy is a right, not a checkbox. This policy explains plainly what information The Christchurch Chronicle collects, why we collect it, how we protect it, and what rights you have.

Last updated: March 2026

Questions? Contact us at news@scholastica.com

Who We Are

The Christchurch Chronicle is an independent news publication serving Christchurch. References to "we", "us" and "our" in this policy refer to The Christchurch Chronicle and its publishing infrastructure.

What Information We Collect and Why

When you visit our website

We collect standard usage data — pages visited, time on site, referral source, browser type and device information — via cookies and analytics tools. This helps us understand how our site is used and improve it. You are not personally identified from this data unless you also have an account with us.

When you subscribe

We collect your name, email address and payment information to manage your subscription and deliver content. Payment data is processed securely by our payment provider and is not stored on our servers.

When you sign up for our newsletter

We collect your email address to send you editorial newsletters. You can unsubscribe at any time via the link in any email we send.

When you contact us, submit a letter or send a tip

We collect the information you provide — name, email, suburb or location, and any other details you include — to respond to your enquiry, consider your letter for publication, or follow up on your tip. We take source protection seriously. Tips may be submitted anonymously. We will never disclose a source's identity without explicit consent.

When you advertise with us

We collect business contact and billing information to manage your advertising relationship with us.

How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information only for the purpose for which it was collected:

  • To provide and manage your subscription
  • To send newsletters and communications you have opted into
  • To respond to enquiries, letters and tips
  • To process advertising bookings and payments
  • To analyse site usage and improve our journalism and reader experience
  • To comply with our legal obligations

We do not use your information for automated decision-making or profiling.

Who We Share Your Information With

We do not sell your personal information — ever.

We share data only with trusted service providers who help us operate The Christchurch Chronicle, including our publishing infrastructure, payment processors, email delivery services and analytics providers. All providers are contractually bound to handle your data securely and only for the purposes we specify.

We do not share personally identifiable subscriber data with advertisers.

We may disclose personal information if required to do so by law, court order or regulatory authority.

Cookies

We use cookies for site functionality, analytics and, where applicable, advertising. You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings or via our cookie consent tool. Some features may not function correctly if cookies are disabled.

Where advertising partners use cookies to serve ads to our readers, those partners operate under their own privacy policies.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected, or as required by law. Subscriber data is retained for the duration of your subscription and for a reasonable period thereafter. Newsletter data is retained until you unsubscribe. You may request deletion at any time — see Your Rights below.

Your Rights

Depending on where you are located, you may have some or all of the following rights. We honour all of them regardless:

  • Right to access — request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
  • Right to correction — request that inaccurate information be corrected
  • Right to deletion — request that your personal information be deleted
  • Right to portability — request your data in a portable format
  • Right to object — object to your data being used for direct marketing or certain other purposes
  • Right to restrict processing — ask us to limit how we use your data while a complaint is resolved
  • Right to withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at news@scholastica.com. We will respond within 30 days.

Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect your personal information from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure or alteration. In the event of a data breach that is likely to cause serious harm, we will notify affected individuals and any relevant regulatory authority as required by applicable law.

Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to review their policies directly.

Applicable Law

The Christchurch Chronicle operates under New Zealand law. We comply with the Privacy Act 2020 and its Information Privacy Principles. You have the right to access and correct personal information we hold about you. If you are not satisfied with our response to a privacy complaint, you may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner at privacy.org.nz or 0800 803 909.

These terms are governed by the laws of New Zealand. Any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of New Zealand.

Changes to This Policy

We review this policy regularly. When we make material changes, we will update the date at the top of this page. Continued use of our website after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

The Christchurch Chronicle
news@scholastica.com

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