‘Very much a hand-up rather than a hand out’: Albanese commits $180.5m to fund local news
The Albanese Government has committed $180.5 million to fund local media and community broadcasting outlets under the News Media Assistance Program (News MAP).
The Government will invest $153.5 million over four years to News MAP, with an additional $27 million given to the community broadcasting sector.
The AAP newswire service will be given $33 million over three years, while $3.8 million will be spend to develop a national media literacy strategy “to better equip Australians to critically engage with news and media”.
Regional newsrooms will be granted $116.7 million over four years “so they can deliver public interest journalism and local news vital to Australian communities,” with the Government also mandating a minimum commitment of $3 million per year for two years – from 2025-26 – for regional newspaper advertising across the total Commonwealth media advertising spend.
This is in addition to the $15 million in 2024–25 already announced to provide urgent support for eligible regional, independent suburban, multicultural and First Nations news publishers, and the $10.5 million already announced for ACMA to implement the Media Diversity Measurement Framework.
Of the $27 million earmarked for the community broadcasting sector, $12 million will support the First Nations broadcasting and media sector.
Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland, said News MAP “builds on the Albanese Government’s support for a strong, diverse and independent media sector with a new policy framework and range of new measures to support news and public interest journalism”.
“Local news and community broadcasting is at the heart of local communities and makes a vital contribution to national identity and media diversity in Australia,” Rowland said.
“Community broadcasters provide millions of Australians with localised news, information and entertainment and the Government is providing additional funding as it works with the sector on the Community Broadcasting Sector Sustainability Review.”
Michelle Rowland
The Local & Independent News Association (LINA) represents 135 newsrooms producing public interest journalism to local regions and in underrepresented communities. LINA’s executive director, Claire Stuchbery, welcomed the funding injection.
“We are pleased to see the Government responding to feedback provided by the industry body and its member publishers to help address challenges to the sector and enable capacity building for an industry in transition,” Stuchbery said.
“The News Media Relief Program provides much-needed, urgent funds to eligible news businesses in the very short term and the News MAP will transform the industry in the years ahead.
“Small and independent news publishers are a vital part of community infrastructure. While we have seen localised glimmers of hope in the transition to the delivery of news online, challenges to business models have made it really hard to make local newsrooms viable.
“This funding provides a little water to those greenshoots in the news industry, allowing space and support to build new models of news delivery that best serve our communities.
“This funding announcement is very much a hand-up rather than a hand out and LINA member publishers are ready to step up alongside our colleagues at the Australian Associated Press and in the community and First Nations broadcasting sectors.
“We are pleased to see this funding provided across the grassroots media industry, which will grow media diversity and the range of perspectives represented in public dialogue in this country.”
Minister for Indigenous Australians, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, said, “First Nations journalists, broadcasters and media are a vital part of Australia’s media landscape. They help connect, represent and tell the stories of our communities across the country.
“The Albanese Government’s $12 million investment recognises and supports their important work.”
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Nathan Jolly is the Features Editor at Mumbrella. He joined the team in July, 2023.
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News Media Assistance Program
Governments inevitably fund inefficiencies in private commercial businesses where there is no demand. It’s time to get the government out of the market and let free-market economics decide
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