LINA secures eleventh-hour funding extension
The Local and Independent News Association (LINA) has secured an extension to its funding contract after a successful letter-writing campaign, allowing the organisation to continue through to at least June 2026.
Last month, LINA’s executive director Claire Stuchbery called on its members to write to Communications Minister Anika Wells requesting an extension to its funding.
Seed funding for LINA was provided by the Judith Neilson Institute in 2021, but the two Commonwealth government grants that make up the majority of its funding were due to run out on June 30.
Stuchbery wrote “the end-of-financial-year cliff is fast approaching” and that the association could “go under” without the funding.
Claire Stuchbery
In a separate letter to members, seen by Mumbrella, Stuchbery credits the advocacy of its members for the funding extension, saying the money will flow through to members, through a number of subsidies, support programs, grants, and resources.
Stuchbery also noted there are “clearly conversations to be had about LINA’s ongoing sustainability and how we build toward a model that is less reliant on a single government funding source.”
Speaking to Mumbrella last month, Stuchbery said LINA currently has 99 publisher members, who pay fees of $20-$25 per month (soon to rise to $28/month). She said LINA had “been deliberately lean in not taking huge service fees” and the median income for members was $120,000 – and that such operations could not support big fees.
LINA members
LINA will apply for separate funding towards the end of the year, as part of the government’s $153 million News Media Assistance Program (News MAP).
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Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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