[5][6] The print publications and the Stuff website previously belonged to Independent Newspapers Limited, until they were sold to Australian company Fairfax Media in 2003.

[5][7] When a 7.8 earthquake struck Kaikōura 14 November 2016, cutting the town off via road access, Stuff (then Fairfax New Zealand) flew free copies of its newspapers to residents.

As part of the merger proposal, Stuff's Australian owner Fairfax Media would have received a 41 per cent stake in the combined business plus $55 million cash.

[12] In November 2019, NZME confirmed that it had entered into negotiations with Nine Entertainment to purchase Stuff and submitted a proposal to the New Zealand Government regarding a "possible transaction."

Stuff's Chief Content Officer Joanna Norris defended the restructuring, stating that the company had created an internal news service operating across regional New Zealand that would be able to cover stories at any time and place.

[26] On 27 April 2023, Stuff confirmed that it would launch separate subscription-based websites for three of its newspapers: The Dominion Post, The Press, and Waikato Times.

Content from the Stuff Group's North Island newspapers Taranaki Daily News, Manawatu Standard and the Wairarapa Times-Age would be hosted on The Post's website while South Island newspapers Southland Times, Nelson Mail, Timaru Herald and Marlborough Express would be hosted on The Press's website.

Users would also be prompted to subscribe to a single subscription package offering unlimited access to content on The Post, The Press and Waikato Times websites.

According to Radio New Zealand, several senior journalists were asked to reapply for several new roles including a single position as editor of the Sunday Star Times and The Post newspapers.

[34] On 15 May 2024, the Stuff Group acquired the Wairarapa Times-Age newspaper, its website and associated publications from National Media Limited.

[38] Tong was succeeded by Boyle as acting managing director until Sinead Boucher was appointed chief executive officer in August 2017.

[39] Stuff has closed or sold many of their former publications:[40][41][42][43] In 2008, Fairfax Media New Zealand launched a weekly community newspaper in Dunedin called D-Scene, which was a subsidiary of The Southland Times.

[45][44] On 25 June 2024, Stuff announced it would close the last of its Northland community newspapers: The Northern News, The Whangārei Leader and Far North Real Estate.

[48] In November 2017 Stuff Ltd took full ownership of hyper-local social media network Neighbourly, having first bought a 22.5 percent stake in December 2014.

Notable titles have included Big Decision (abortion law reform), Life + Limb (New Zealand's military involvement in the War in Afghanistan), False Profit (which focused on conspiracy theorist and New Zealand Public Party founder Billy Te Kahika), Deleted (which looked at New Zealand companies alleged to be complicit in human rights abuses in Xinjiang), Disordered (which focused on the treatment of people with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome), and Fire and Fury (which looked at vaccine disinformation and conspiracy theories in the wake of the 2022 Wellington protests.