Media release – Michelle Rowland MP, Minister for Communications; Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, Minister for Indigenous Australians, 16 December 2024

Charting the course for a diverse and sustainable news sector

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

The Government recognises local media and community broadcasting as critical to the health of our democracy, social cohesion and informing communities.

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 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 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 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.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP:

“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”.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Indigenous Australians. Senator Malarndirri McCarthy:

“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.”

Media release – Local & Independent News Association (LINA), 16 December 2024

LINA welcomes News MAP announcement

The Local & Independent News Association (LINA) welcomes the Albanese Government’s investment in the news industry through the News Media Assistance Program (News MAP) announced today.

The commitment of $153.5 million over four years to implement the News MAP follows a long period of industry consultation, including extensive discussion with LINA. “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,” said LINA’s Executive Director, Claire Stuchbery. “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.”

Supporting public interest journalism and local news strengthens communities. LINA looks forward to the public benefit the investment in local news will bring through the provision of accurate, timely and relevant news services that respond to audience needs.

“Small and independent news publishers are a vital part of community infrastructure,” Ms Stuchbery said, “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.”

“We look forward to seeing the detail of the News MAP policy framework and to working with government to attract philanthropic support to the news industry, which has successfully fostered strong local news sectors in other parts of the world,” said Stuchbery, “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.”

“We commend the Albanese Government on taking action to support independent media through the measure in this announcement,” says LINA’s Chair, Jon Bisset, “We are particularly satisfied to see government focus on local news and building sustainability for news providers.”

LINA represents 135 newsrooms producing public interest journalism to local regions and in underrepresented communities, a key focus of today’s announcement. Local and independent newsrooms are well placed to support media literacy education, while building on the public interest journalism services that combat mis and disinformation at a local level.

Disclosure: Tasmanian Times is a paid-up member of LINA.

Media release – Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance, 16 December 2024

News MAP funding a welcome leg up for Australian journalism

The union for Australian journalists welcomes the delivery by the federal government of more than $150 million to support the sustainability of public interest journalism over the next four years.

Combined with last week’s announcement of the revamped News Bargaining Initiative, this could result in up to $400 million in additional funding for the sector over the coming years.

The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance says the new funding under the News Media Assistance Program (News MAP) will boost journalism and media diversity but must be tied to the enforcement of minimum employment standards for all media workers, including freelancers.

The acting Director of MEAA Media, Michelle Rae, said the Albanese Government had picked up on recommendations from the union during consultation over the News MAP earlier this year.

“We are pleased that the government has adopted a holistic and structured approach to support for the news media industry, rather than the patchwork of band aid solutions that have been implemented in the past,” she said.

“MEAA has long argued that commercially produced public interest journalism requires systematic, long-term support beyond a three-year time frame to ensure its viability and to promote a diverse media landscape.

“The longer-term approach confirmed by the government will allow media outlets to plan for their future sustainability with additional certainty about their income over the next four years.

“Importantly, the new funding is primarily directed at local and community news, the sector that has been most impacted by the decline of advertising revenue over the past two decades.

“The $116.7 million to support this sector will go a long way towards helping communities in regional Australia and the suburbs of our main cities to rebuild local journalism in areas that have become or are in danger of becoming news deserts.

“The unique role of Australian Associated Press as an independent and accessible news service has been recognised with $33 million in new funding.

“MEAA also welcomes the government’s commitment to mandate at least $6 million of its advertising budget is spent in regional newspapers.”

Ms Rae said that while it was worthwhile to explore measures to attract philanthropic funding of the news media industry, any solutions to the decline of public interest journalism must not be reliant on sponsorships or donations that undermine the independence of media outlets.

“There is a place for demand-side incentives to subscribe and pay for quality news media through the use of subsidies, vouchers or tax deductibility,” she said.

“But care must be taken to ensure that philanthropic funding does not allow donors to dictate the editorial policies of media outlets.”

Media release – Michelle Rowland MP, Minister for Communications; Stephen Jones MP, Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services, 12 December 2024

Albanese Government to establish News Bargaining Incentive

The Albanese Government will establish the News Bargaining Incentive to ensure large digital platforms contribute to the sustainability of news media in Australia.

A strong and diverse news sector is vital for a healthy democracy.

However the rapid growth of digital platforms has disrupted revenues to Australia’s media sector, which threatens the viability of public interest journalism.

The News Media Bargaining Code was introduced in 2021 to incentivise digital platforms to enter into commercial deals with news publishers.

The code acknowledged that large digital platforms are unavoidable trading partners for Australian news media businesses in reaching audiences online, and sought to address the imbalance of bargaining power between digital platforms and news media publishers.

However, the code has limitations. It allows platforms to avoid their obligations by removing news. This is not in the best interest of Australians. A significant proportion of Australians use digital platforms to access news, and we want this to continue.

The Government is acting to address this, by establishing a News Bargaining Incentive to encourage digital platforms to enter into or renew commercial deals with news publishers.

Australia does not intend to raise revenue from this policy.

The bargaining incentive includes a charge and an offset mechanism. Platforms that choose not to enter or renew commercial agreements with news publishers will pay the charge. Platforms with these agreements will, however, be able to offset their liability.

The incentive will apply to large digital platforms operating significant social media or search services irrespective of whether or not they carry news.

The Government will consult stakeholders on the final design of the scheme.

A public consultation paper is expected to be released in early 2025.

The incentive builds on significant work underway to ensure Australian laws keep pace with digital technologies, including the development of a new scams prevention framework, a digital competition regime, implementation of privacy reforms, and ongoing work related to artificial intelligence.

The Government will have further announcements outlining support for news media.

Download the News Bargaining Incentive Fact Sheet [DOCX 149KB]

Comments attributable to the Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services, the Hon Stephen Jones MP:

“The Government wants Australians to continue to have access to quality news content on digital platforms.

“Digital platforms receive huge financial benefits from Australia, and they have a social and economic responsibility to contribute to Australians’ access to quality journalism.

“This approach strengthens the existing code by addressing loopholes that could see platforms circumvent their responsibility to pay.”

Comments attributable to the Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP:

“The Albanese Government is committed to a diverse and sustainable news media sector, given this is critical to the health of Australia’s democracy.

“Large digital platforms have an important role to play in providing access to news for all Australians, and contributing to the sustainability of public interest journalism.

“The News Bargaining Incentive is an important step towards securing support for Australia’s news media.”