COUNTRY PRESS Australia president Andrew Manuel has expressed his appreciation for the Media Innovation and the Civic Future of Australia’s Country Press report. The Deakin University study highlights the crucial role of local newspapers in serving their communities and providing civic journalism. Despite the media industry’s challenging times, local papers remain an essential part of regional and rural Australia.
The report recommends that the government, policymakers, and the community take necessary action to ensure newspapers can continue to play their vital role. It also reiterates a parliamentary inquiry recommendation that 20 percent of all Federal Government advertising expenditure be allocated to regional and rural news organisations. The report calls for a better understanding of the role of regional and rural newspapers and more support.
It also questions the focus on digital reach in regional areas and the effectiveness of digital over local media in engaging with regional and rural Australians. Local papers may not individually engage with millions of people, but their strength lies in their rich levels of engagement with distinct local communities.
The report highlights the need to better support local news and acknowledges the pivotal role and responsibility of country papers to communities scattered across the continent.
