Monthly content inspiration for publishers
Story ideas for the month or year ahead, key news industry events for your calendar, a little prompt on revenue streams you might want to think about this month, helpful mailing lists to subscribe to, and a list of useful spokespeople, government and helpline references to refer your readers to, or to draw upon yourself.
Coming up in March:
March 8: International Women’s Day
- Profile 3–5 local women running small businesses or side hustles
- Ask how cost-of-living pressures are affecting women-led businesses differently
- Look into which local industries have the highest proportion of women leaders
March 16–23: Harmony Week
- Visit a local multicultural business precinct and ask owners how diversity drives customers
- Profile a family business that has adapted products/services for Australian audiences
- What languages are most commonly spoken by customers in local shops?
March 19: National Close the Gap Day
- Interview a local First Nations health or education organisation about funding challenges
- Spotlight an Indigenous-owned business and how community support affects growth
- Look into the Indigenous history of your area
April:
April 3–6: Easter Long Weekend
- Easter events in the area
- Ask locals about their Easter traditions
- Profile on a local Church
- Profile a business or organisation running school-holiday programs
- Ask parents how they juggle childcare, work and costs during school holidays
- What do kids say is the best (and worst) part of school holidays?
- Interview a local business or council initiative reducing waste or energy use
- Ask residents what environmental changes they’ve actually made at home
- Visit a local park, creek or bushland area and ask people why it matters to them
- Interview a veteran
- Research past veterans from your area or community
- Profile a local service
- Ask young people about their connection to the day, exploring how ANZAC day traditions will continue as time passes
May:
May 1: May Day / International Workers’ Day
- Speak to a local employer or small business about hiring challenges right now
- Interview workers in an industry under pressure (healthcare, retail, construction) about conditions and morale
- How have wages, job security or workplace expectations changed locally in the past five years?
- Interview kids at the local school about what they love about their mums
- Profile business owners, community leaders who are also mums about the balance
- Business round-up: florists, cafes, activity spaces about offers for Mother’s Day
May 11–18: National Volunteer Week
- Interview a not-for-profit or charity about funding pressures and reliance on volunteers
- Spend a day with a volunteer (SES, op shop, surf lifesaving, school canteen) and document what they do
May 17: International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia
- Look into inclusion in your community. What resources exist for LGBTQIA+ residents? How do schools and prominent community workplaces support these people?
May 26: National Sorry Day
- Local history profile: What land are you on? What is the land known for? Who are the key First Nations community leaders in your area?
- Talk to teachers from the local school on how they teach the Stolen Generations and reconciliation
Open-source website tracking for journalists
Klaxon is a web-based tool that enables reporters, editors and researchers alike to monitor any number of websites for newsworthy changes, including government or corporate sites (think Council websites, MP announcements, donation registers…).
It’s designed for monitoring websites for additions, removals or other changes, and can be a helpful tool for finding important public interest stories. Use this guide from LINA’s Technical Manager to set up Klaxon.
We’ve compiled a list of useful contacts for you to reference in related articles. LINA keeps this list as current as possible, however please check links before publication. Let us know if you spot anything out of date so we can update.
- Economic Media Centre: has a database of spokespeople with lived expertise in economic inequality and a range of social issues, including disability, housing, education, refugees, social security and First Nations.
- Nature Media Centre: also a database of trusted experts on all things nature, environment and sustainability. Contact this team to get support finding relevant case studies or local stories.
Helpful mailing lists for publishers to subscribe to
To receive regular updates, alerts and useful media information around local government, it’s worth subscribing to these mailing lists. LINA keeps this list as current as possible, but let us know if there are any that need updating.
SES: State Emergency Service
- Subscribe to receive BOM updates
- Optional media releases / alerts for journalists
Your local council media alerts
- For information on how to find your local council, check the useful contacts list above.
- To find their mailing list/media information, try scrolling to the bottom of their website, and finding a headline like ‘media contact’ or ‘news’.
- If you can’t find anything under your council website, your local MP may have a mailing list on their own website.
- Find media releases and statements here.
- Subscribe to your chosen parliamentary service mailing list.
- Subscribe to your parliamentary committee mailing list.
Australian Capital Territory
- Find media releases here.
- Find media releases here.
- Find media releases here.
- Find the latest media statements here.
- Find the latest government announcements here.
Useful apps for emergency alerts
- Emergency+ (by Australian Government). This app is great for both receiving emergency alerts and finding emergency services near you. It provides information on fires, floods, severe weather, and other crises across Australia. Journalists can use this to stay updated in real time.
- Fires Near Me (by NSW RFS). Specifically designed for fire alerts, it’s a great tool for journalists in fire-prone areas. It provides real-time information on bushfires across New South Wales and other states.
- Alert SA (by Government of South Australia). This app sends emergency alerts for bushfires, floods, storms, and other emergencies. It’s designed to provide up-to-date information to help with reporting on disasters.
- Australian Red Cross – Emergency (Emergency Services). This app delivers alerts about local emergency situations and offers information on first aid, shelters, and disaster management.
- BOM Weather (Bureau of Meteorology). An essential app for receiving weather alerts, including warnings for severe storms, bushfires, or floods. Ideal for staying updated on conditions that may impact local reporting.
Check out what other LINA members are doing
Meet the Newsrooms is a LINA podcast series introducing you to Australia’s local and independent digital news publishers. It discusses the most interesting stories editors have published, as well as the creative ways they are generating revenue and maintaining engagement.
