Campaign Aims to Support Public Interest Journalism
On 3rd May, independent digital newsrooms across Australia will join forces for a week-long crowdfunding initiative, ‘Our News, Your Voice’, coinciding with World Press Freedom Day.
The Local & Independent News Association (LINA) spearheads the effort, aiming to build on the success of previous years where over $330,000 was raised to support independent journalism.
LINA Executive Director Claire Stuchbery emphasised the importance of public interest journalism. She stated, “Public interest journalism creates informed voters, covering governments at all levels, holding power to account, and bringing communities together by sharing and recording our common threads and diverse voices.”
More than 40 independent newsrooms are participating in this campaign, aiming to continue the momentum gained in past years. This effort highlights the need for community-supported journalism, especially as traditional business models in the industry face significant challenges.
Challenges Facing Independent Publishers
Producing high-quality journalism requires substantial resources and investment. Stuchbery pointed out that while audiences often expect free news access, the financial burden on newsrooms is significant. “The strongest public interest journalism and investigative reporting tend to be the most costly,” she added.
The campaign emerges as major news outlets release a joint statement backing the government’s News Bargaining Incentive, an update to the News Media Bargaining Code introduced in 2021. The Code aims to balance power in the media landscape by requiring tech platforms to support the news industry.
LINA and other independent publishers are urging the government to consider the needs of smaller media outlets. They caution that the current policy draft risks excluding small and community-based publishers from participating, potentially entrenching the status quo in an already concentrated media market.
The News Media Bargaining Code, despite yielding mixed results, aims to correct power imbalances by ensuring that tech platforms contribute to the news media industry they have disrupted. However, the needs of smaller and emerging publishers must not be overlooked in new policy designs.
Stuchbery called for government responsibility in ensuring access to verified information. Meanwhile, she encouraged individuals to support independent journalism through donations or subscriptions. “If you don’t have capacity to donate, engaging with and subscribing to content from independent newsrooms is also a valuable support,” she stated.
For more information on the campaign and to support independent journalism, visit LINA’s website.
