It comes after a broadside from former editors and staff of the University of Otago student publication, who protested the weekly magazine being reduced to 16 pages and 36 pages on alternate weeks.
Traditionally, Critic had about 48 pages, but some years it had more than 60.
Former Critic editor Joel MacManus, in correspondence with OUSA chief executive Debbie Downs, said the magazine had been ‘‘singled out’’ with a budget cut of $21,000.
‘‘There are always trade-offs when setting budgets. OUSA makes political decisions about how to spend its members’ money to deliver the maximum possible benefit to them.
‘‘In this budget, OUSA has chosen to invest less in Critic.
‘‘This decision reduces Critic’s importance, prominence, and the significant role it plays in the lives of students.
‘‘A 16-page edition every other week is a major drop in the quality that far outweighs the savings on print costs.’’
OUSA president Daniel Leamy said the 2026 budget for Critic was $338,212.
‘‘Like many organisations and NPO’s [non-profits], OUSA is presently operating in a challenging financial environment as cost-of-living pressures impact budgets.
‘‘Despite these pressures, the staffing budget for Critic increased by about $5000 in 2026 compared with 2025, meaning the publication retains a strong editorial capacity to report on issues affecting students and the university community.’’
However, Mr Leamy said OUSA would continue to seek feedback from Critic staff and students through the year.
‘‘That feedback, along with OUSA’s financial position, will help inform any future decisions on page count or format.’’
Mr MacManus told the Otago Daily Times that OUSA highlighting the increase in staffing budgets when the overall budget had been cut was ‘‘splitting hairs’’.
‘‘I genuinely think OUSA’s just made a mistake here. I don’t think the executive have fully grasped how much people value Critic. This is not something that’s been forced on them.
‘‘They aren’t out of money. They’ve increased budgets in other areas. They just haven’t balanced the value of their services properly and I just think they should put it back to how it was.’’
