The Albanese Government is going to invest $180.5 million to support local news and community broadcasting, today launching the News Media Assistance Program (News MAP) and announcing additional funding for community broadcasting.

In a statement, the Government said it recognises local media and community broadcasting as critical to the health of our democracy, social cohesion and informing communities. 

Federal Funding in the past has not made its way to independent digital newspapers like the Lismore App and Indynr, that services Casino and Kyogle. This involves both the Liberal/National Party and Labor in the last seven years..

Their focus has been on supporting the ailing print industry and funding their transition to digital, mainly the big names in the industry, such as Murdoch and ACM. Lismore has seen the Northern Star stop printing at the end of June 2020, and then Lismore City News (that replaced it) closed its doors at the end of July 2024.

So, the question remains: will News MAP support all local public interest journalism? Or will it be more of the same?

The Details

The Government will invest $153.5 million over four years to implement the News MAP, which has been informed by extensive public and industry consultation, with the following measures: 

• Release of the News MAP policy framework to guide government intervention to support public interest journalism in Australia, with clear objectives and the best available evidence
• Establishment of a new expert advisory panel to provide advice on the design and targeting of mechanisms to support sustainability and capacity building, including attracting philanthropy 
• $33 million over three years to support the Australian Associated Press newswire service – recognising its important role in supporting media diversity and providing high quality news 
• $116.7 million over four years from 2024-25 (and $1.7 million in 2028-29) to support and build the sustainability and capacity of news organisations so they can deliver public interest journalism and local news vital to Australian communities, including $17.6 million for the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts to support program delivery 
• $3.8 million over three years from 2025-26 for the development of Australia’s first National Media Literacy Strategy, co-designed in partnership with the media literacy research sector, education sector and communities, to better equip Australians to critically engage with news and media. 

The Government will also mandate a minimum commitment of $3.0 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 $15.0 million in 2024–25 already announced for the News Media Relief Program to provide urgent support for eligible regional, independent suburban, multicultural and First Nations news publishers, and the $10.5 million already announced for the Australian Communications and Media Authority to implement the Media Diversity Measurement Framework. 

The Government will also invest an additional $27 million to back Australia’s vital community broadcasting sector, with:

• $15 million through the Community Broadcasting Program (CBP) to support the community broadcasting sector, including $3.0 million to support community television
• $12 million through the Indigenous Broadcasting and Media Program (IBMP) to support the First Nations broadcasting and media sector.

This new funding recognises and supports the services of over 450 community broadcasters who connect communities and amplify diverse voices, while the Government continues work with the sector on the Community Broadcasting Sector Sustainability Review.

For more information on News MAP, visit: News Media Assistance Program (News MAP) | Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts

For more information on the Community Broadcasting Program and the Community Broadcasting Sector Sustainability Review, visit: Community Broadcasting Program | Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts

Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP said, “Informed by extensive public and industry-wide consultation, the 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.

“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”. 

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 through the Indigenous Broadcasting and Media Program recognises and supports their important work.”

Full disclosure: the Lismore App has received a Meta Fund to hire a journalist part-time for 12 months. This ends next week. It was provided through the Walkley Foundation.