LINA welcomes The Future of Regional Newspapers in a Digital World: Inquiry into Australia’s regional newspapers report published by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts this week.
The report recognises the critical role that independent, hyperlocal publishers play in their communities. It recognises the value of LINA and calls for funding to be allocated to research, programs and initiatives to support sustainability and innovation in the hyperlocal sector.
LINA congratulates the Committee for its engagement with our sector. We were grateful for the opportunity to give evidence at the Public Hearing for the Inquiry. The report demonstrates a strong understanding of our sector.
The Committee has recommended that the government develop a targeted grants program for small, independent newspapers. It also recognised the need for funding to support local publishers to build sustainable business models.
The Committee has made a persuasive call-to-action for the Australian Government to grow and develop our sector to fill news deserts and counter the loss of regional newspapers in communities around Australia. We look forward to working with Government to implement the recommendations.
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