1. Be flexible with your leadership style. Different situations call for different approaches.
2. Publishers struggle with being able to balance their time between Leading vs Managing vs Operating.
3. Take stock of your team dynamics and what stage of team development they’re at: Forming, Storming, Norming or Performing.

1. Identify your default leadership style.
2. Think about the good leaders you’ve had in your life and how you can model their behaviour.
3. Use LINA’s HR for Newsrooms service to help with succession planning

1. The effects of stigma are often more distressing than the symptoms of an illness 
2. Werther effect: problematic communication about suicide deaths is associated with increased rates of suicide and attempts
3. Positive impacts—Papageno effect: sharing stories of people who have got through a suicidal crisis, or sharing ‘alternatives’ to suicide 
4. Be careful not to out, misgender, misrepresent or erase LGBTIQA+ people and communities. 
5. If you don’t think you’re the right person to tell a story, say so 
6. Stories about systemic issues e.g. shortage of psychiatrists, are important, but media should always highlight many different types of supports available. E.g. local headspace, peer support worker, online services, mental health social worker. Don’t promote sense of helplessness.
7. Help to demystify e.g. stories about what’s it like to call up Lifeline.

1. Contact Mindframe to access free resources or support: mindframe@health.nsw.gov.au, or access additional resources here. 
2. Make current best-practice guidelines available for your newsrooms’ journalists to access as needed. 
3. Could hold a team training on LGBTIQA+ reporting e.g. ACON pride training 
4. Reach out to an LGBTIQA+ organisation to share lived experiences for relevant stories e.g. Star Observer 

If you need support, you can contact Support Act a 24/7 Mental Health Counselling service: 1800 959 500.

1. Transparency is key: engage with the ethical processes, show your “workings” about ethical decisions e.g. through editorials 
2. maintain strict editorial rules around advertising relationships
3. implement clear disclosure policies for political donations above $1,000
4. use current guidelines for reporting on sensitive topics e.g. domestic violence
5. establish clear protocols for protecting source confidentiality
6. develop transparent correction and complaint procedures for publications

1. Publish your code of ethics
2. Publish complaints form
3. Publish link to Australian Press Council complaints 
4. Be iterative with journalism (particularly suited to digital journalism). Follow-up mistakes or suggestions for alternative views. 

1. . The way you present your workplace, impacts the expectations of new employees when they enter it.
2. Good workplace culture can be impacted by ‘unwritten rules’ and barriers such as ‘the boys club’.
3. A workplace that aligns with its stated values creates genuinely good workplace culture.

1.  Assess your current workplace culture to ensure it aligns with what you want it to be. You can use the Edgar Shein culture model of artifacts, norms and assumptions.
2. Encourage your team to speak openly and honestly about how they feel in the workplace.
3. Plot a course of action to maintain, or course correct, the culture of your workplace.

1. Emphasising video content is crucial as a significant revenue stream for digital publishers, with the potential to enhance engagement and monetisation.
2. Building strong partnerships and relationships within the industry can aid in diversifying revenue opportunities
3. Trying new strategies and learning from failures can lead to innovative and successful revenue models.

1. Develop and implement a comprehensive video content strategy to capitalise on its potential for increasing audience engagement and revenue.
2. Strengthen industry relationships and explore new partnership opportunities to diversify revenue streams and increase long-term sustainability.
3. Conduct a 12-week experimental project focused on a specific revenue initiative, evaluating its outcomes and potential for scaling up.

1. The infringement of copyrighted content in digital spaces is continuing.
2. Give notice first, when pursuing cases of copyright infringement, by sending an email to the editor of the publication who has used your content.
3. Publishers are concerned about the unauthorised use of their content by AI and other media organisations.

• Advocate with the government for solutions to licensing AI-trained datasets and other technological disruptions.
• Join Copyright Agency in order to claim royalties for your work.
• Implement collective licenses for organisations to manage the sharing of content  
• Watermark your content to make it more difficult for others to use it without crediting you.

1. The best way to create a newsletter is to just get started; start writing, and publish consistently. Pick a niche topic, and go for it.
2. Substack is the ideal platform for running a paid newsletter system. Half of all content on Substack is paid.
3. Future Media’s leads come primarily through word of mouth, followed by Substack notes (an in-site feed) and then social media like LinkedIn.

1. Allow limited free subscriber content, but charge for the majority of your work. 
2. To know which articles to charge for, look to pieces that have helped your reader make money, or pieces that have information that took lots of research or are covering topics that can only be found on your platform.

1. Some studies indicate that Australia is experiencing declining levels of civic engagement and participation in social change.
2. This is evident in reduced participation in social and community groups, as well as lower levels of interest in political activities and events, according to the Australian Leadership Index. A core feature of this is reduced trust in Australian institutions such as government bodies and media.

1. Use 360info for free, high quality republish able explainer content for newsrooms

1. A media kit is not a menu — they’re usually confusing to everyday people. It’s a poor replacement for a sales person, and acts better as a conversation starter. 
2. Media kits should be made FOR the client. Can they trust you? Do they feel like you can help them? Pricing isn’t the top priority. Keep it simple.
3. Sometimes if you send the rates without a conversation, the client might just ghost because they don’t understand the value of the advertising, and you haven’t had the chance to explain it to them.

1. Take a look at Kenny’s media kit for Red Bank Green for some inspiration

1. LINA members want to extend the News Media Bargaining Code to include smaller publishers based on editorial standards, not just income.
2. They want LINA to represent them in collective bargaining with tech giants, especially Meta, and to address AI’s challenges and opportunities.
3. They also appreciate LINA’s relationship with Google and desire similar engagement with Meta.

1. It is possible to generate revenue via real estate listings even with competition from companies such as The REA Group and Domain
2. Create revenue through real estate advertorials and NewsREAM ad listing packages
3. Newsport is planning on sharing their NewsREAM tool with the wider LINA community once development is complete

1. Improve your publication’s authority in the real estate space by creating consistent property coverage
2. Establish your publication as the local real estate expects, but allow a year or two for this to take place
3. Build content through relationships with local agents and industry professionals

How to make your written content accessible:

1. How to make sure your written content is accessible:
2. Use plain language
3. Use descriptive link text e.g. instead of simply using two words ‘click here’, write something longer like ‘click here to learn more about xyz’
4. Break up content with sub headings, shorter paragraphs
5. Alt text: provide descriptions under images that can be read to someone with a visual impairment. Keep it at 1-2 sentences
6. Color contrast: Make sure text and background colours aren’t too similar
7. Use accessible fonts, e.g. simple ones like Arial
8. Avoid background images (can be distracting)

How to make video/audio content accessible:

1. Provide captions and transcripts
2. Audio description
3. Clean up audio to make it understandable

1. LINA policy priorities include: securing legislated government advertising commitments for locally and/or independently produced media, reforms to support not-for-profit newsrooms to access DGR eligibility for donations, updating Local Government Acts to include local digital publications (not just newspapers) and securing funding for newsrooms by expanding grant eligibility guidelines. 
2. The discussion concluded with concerns about industry perception and the importance of balancing positive growth stories with realistic challenges facing the sector.

1. Reach out to Nell to discuss or provide feedback on LINA’s policy priorities: nell.oshea.carre@lina.org.au
2. Keep us up to date with what’s happening in your local or state government, including if there is an issue you would like us to act on. 
3. Complete the annual LINA survey in July so we can use aggregated data from this (e.g. collective reach/audience size of LINA newsrooms) to advocate on your behalf.

1. Medianet’s media landscape report shows 72% of journalists experienced burnout in 2023, highlighting a significant industry crisis.
   
2. Technology, particularly smartphones, is contributing to time poverty and poor mental health outcomes, as journalists find it increasingly difficult to disconnect.

1. Where possible, set boundaries for yourself and your team, to make room to recharge. Even if it means you take just a 5 minute break from the pressure of the newsroom.
2. If possible, invest in employee assistance programs and encourage a culture where good mental health is prioritised.
3. Connect with your peers, either within the workplace, or with groups like LINA to find solidarity with those having similar experiences.

If you need support, you can contact Support Act a 24/7 Mental Health Counselling service: 1800 959 500.

1. When covering minority groups it can be challenging to cover contextual aspects of their culture, which requires time to investigate and learn.
2. Avoid the temptation to return to the same “spokesperson” each time you are reporting on that community

1. Review the Australian Human Rights Commissions Race Reporting Handbook

Bob Burton – Tasmanian Inquirer

Tasmanian Inquirer provided examples of a number of stories that have been broken and/or enhanced through freedom of information requests and offered to demonstrate how to access them to interested publishers. 

Simon Holt – My City Media

A team is developing a data-scraping widget to easily access business contact information for specific streets, currently in beta testing. The tool aims to reduce manual research time to around 10 minutes.

Kenny Katzgrau – RedBank Green

RedBank Green demonstrated “Party Line,” a WordPress plugin allowing readers to submit content via text message. The system enables coverage of community events, breaking news, and user-generated content while maintaining editorial control.

Suzannah Lyons – 360info

360info presented their research news features wire service, which provides free, in-depth analysis and explainers from academics under Creative Commons licensing. They focus on providing context rather than breaking news or opinion pieces.

Aggy Renaundin – Newsport

Newsport showcased their beach cameras in Port Douglas and Bangkok, attracting 5,000 weekly viewers and providing weather updates and tide information. The cameras are positioned at surf lifesaving clubs.

Liam Fitzgerald – Fitzmedia

Fitzmedia Live presented their local online television platform serving the Warrnambool region, featuring news, sports, and events. The service reaches over 115,000 viewers and generates revenue through corporate video production and advertising.

Susie Williams – Fleurieu App

The Fleurieu App demonstrated effective use of QR codes for increasing downloads and engagement, with codes placed strategically throughout the community and at events.

Melanie Grevis-James – Western Echo

Western Echo shared their First Nations storytelling project, funded by a LINA micro-grant, featuring four stories from local elder Morris about indigenous history and culture in their area.

Belinda Cusack – Unmade

Unmade discussed their podcast strategy, emphasizing the importance of audio quality and professional equipment. The podcast has led to increased media opportunities and audience engagement.

Kaye Rodden – Prom Coast News

Prom Coast News detailed their launch of a community newspaper following the closure of a 139-year-old local paper. Starting with $25,000 in donations, they now produce a fortnightly broadsheet and digital edition serving the Wilson’s Promontory region.

1. About 70% of news brands are part of networks
2. Journalism workforce decreased by 19% between 2011-2021
3. News websites comprise 40% of professional news outlets, followed by radio at 30%
4. Higher levels of public interest journalism were found in regional/remote areas compared to metropolitan areas
5. News consumption is declining, particularly among 18-34 age group
6. Social media usage for news varies by age: Facebook preferred by those 45+ and Instagram by younger users
7. Overall trust in news is declining while distrust is increasing

The report identified significant data gaps and ACMA plans to expand data collection through additional research and stakeholder collaboration. The organisation welcomes feedback on the 2025 report and framework implementation.

1. Emphasis on content freshness and originality, avoiding excessive ad placement on content pages.  
2. Google’s major ranking factors: relevance, location, prominence, freshness, usability, and interest.  
3. Use direct feedback and real-world testing.

1. Adopt Google’s EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) principles for content creation.  
2. Implement technical strategies like structured data markups and canonical tags.  
3. Utilise tools such as Google Search Console and Google Trends for data analysis and content strategy development.  

1. Three question approach: consider who’s saying it, why they are saying it (motivations) and the evidence presented.
2. Primary sources are critical for verifying factual information, especially in the context of increasing misinformation and AI-generated content.  
3. Pre-bunking, or addressing potential misinformation before it spreads, can be more effective than traditional debunking methods.  
4. Engaging with influencers and using platforms like TikTok is essential to reach younger, potentially less media-literate audiences. 

1. Develop a structured plan to enhance pre-bunking strategies and identify potential misinformation themes.  
2. Expand collaborations with trusted experts and institutions to strengthen the credibility and reach of fact-checking.  
3. Implement targeted media literacy programs, particularly in schools, to equip the next generation with critical evaluation skills. 

1.  Personalise messaging and emphasize local content
2. Focus on regular/monthly giving opportunities
3. Express genuine gratitude to donors
4. Utilise multiple communication platforms
5. Make clear, direct asks rather than soft requests
6. Report campaign results back to the community
7. Maintain consistent messaging throughout the week

1. Edit and personalise email templates and social media content with local messaging
2. Set up PressPatron donation page and verify account
3. Prepare website with donation buttons and campaign messaging
4. Daily communications during the 7-day campaign
5. Plan phone call follow-ups for larger donors
6. 90-day second ask strategy for continued support
7. Cross-promote other participating newsrooms
8. Add PressPatron widget to website
9. Configure email newsletter integration with PressPatron
10. Prepare ‘last call’ messaging for final campaign day
11. Draft post-campaign success report for supporters

1. It is important to establish clear principles for AI usage, including consultation with content creators.
2. Maintaining transparency with audiences is essential for trust. 
3. While legal remedies for overseas usage are limited, organisations can protect content through arrangements and tools like Talbot and Scalepost that track content scraping.

1. Review and document acceptable error rates for AI content generation
2. Implement data security protocols for AI tool usage and data handling
3. Create clear guidelines for image manipulation and generative AI usage
4. Develop transparency and disclosure policies for AI-generated content
5. Establish consultation process with content creators about AI usage
6. Set up quality assurance workflow for AI-generated content review
7. Research and evaluate content authenticity tools like C2PA
8. Document principles for responsible AI usage in content creation
9. Implement process for audience feedback on AI-generated content

1. Bob introduced Tasmania Inquirer, a small newsroom with a high-impact approach, which had won numerous awards through careful use of right to information (FOI) requests to differentiate their journalism. He emphasised the benefits and steps of FOI, noting the importance of having local expertise and understanding legislation nuances.
2. Sylvia Montano-Nino discussed the evolving landscape of fact-checking, highlighting changes brought by social media platforms and global conflicts. Fact-checking had shifted from political verification to also addressing misinformation on social media, complicating sustainability for fact-checking organisations. She identified key values in fact-checking practices such as verifiability, detectability, harmfulness, and explainability, proposing a focus on “check-worthiness” over traditional newsworthiness.
3. Matt Martino detailed his work at ABC News Verify, focusing on visual verification of user-generated content. He introduced a methodology acronym “SIDE” for verifying content: Stop, Investigate, Discover, and Examine. Martino stressed the importance of verifying location, time, and source, and highlighted tools and practices for building trust and transparency in reporting, such as documenting errors and ensuring verification in articles. The presenters invited questions and offered resources for fact-checking and FOI requests.

1. Evaluate your previous FOI requests and consider improvements
2. Set a target to complete at least one FOI request this year
3. Explore resources from the International Fact-Checking Network and Poynter Institute for fact-checking
4. Connect with a local FOI buddy for guidance on legislation

1. Digital signage: Publishers can sell inventory (on behalf of advertising clients) on the screens and display news real-time and an change the content remotely depending on time, weather etc. Can also be used to showcase news stories and direct traffic to websites. 
2. Digital advertising: Third party cookies are on their way out, there will soon be a requirement for an explicit notice of consent for advertising (consumers will need to opt in to receive advertising, not out), ‘search’ represents 44% of the total Australian internet advertising market in 2024, video outperforms the broader display advertising market in 2024.
3. Podcasts: easier than other revenue strategies e.g. events, a powerful medium (intimate), getting a lot of attention right now e.g. political campaigns and accessible to audiences (e.g. can consume this content while multi-tasking) 

1. Contact Mercato or LINA for more info about implementing digital signage advertising. 
2. Try AI tools for podcast creation e.g. transcribing interviews, doing a paper edit. 
3. But don’t rely on creating content through AI, because advertising models are getting better with identifying and won’t align themselves with this risky content
4. Partner with relevant organisations to monetise podcasts.

1. Traditional search behaviour is shifting from keyword queries to conversational AI interactions
2. AI overview features are appearing at the top of search results, potentially reducing traffic to publisher sites
3. Traffic from chatbots is increasing but not fully offsetting decreased search traffic
4. Publishers are seeing less data feedback as interactions move to local devices
5. There is a growing importance of audio content across age groups
6. Voice interfaces are becoming more prevalent through smart speakers and AI assistants
7. Tools like Eleven Labs and Notebook LM enabling easy audio content creation
8. Publishers need to adapt content for audio consumption rather than simply narrating written articles

1. Monitor AI bot scraping using tools like Talbot and Scalepost
2. Ensure content optimization strategies need to balance traditional SEO with AI discovery
3. Analyse your current content formats and develop strategy for multi-format content delivery (audio, video, text)
4. Evaluate your current traffic sources and develop strategy for core audience engagement
5. Focus on customer-centric approaches and quality content
6. Monitor data carefully to understand changing consumption patterns
7. Consider long-term strategy beyond immediate revenue
8. Adapt to “liquid content” where traditional format boundaries blur
9. Maintain brand strength while exploring new distribution methods

1. Your story is unique, so keep telling it. Share the personal stories of your team and news site on a regular basis.
2. Consistent branding is key to staying top of mind. Have one image that is instantly recognisable as ‘you’.
3. Working with community groups is not only great for your area, but helps you re-enforce your message and builds trust.

1. Create a mission statement so you have a clear vision of how you want your community to view you.
2. Ensure you have an About Us page.
3. Use QR codes for interactive and measurable engagement options.
4. Check LINA’s exhaustive list of Tools and Resources that can help you choose palettes and create logos, as well as planning social media posts and more.
5. Set up your Impact Tracking dashboard so you can keep track of the feedback you’re getting from your community.

1. Explainers are increasingly popular and appreciated by audiences for their ability to provide context and facilitate understanding of complex topics.
2. Including expert voices enriches explainer content and enhances its credibility, allowing audiences to grasp nuanced insights.
3. Audience engagement and input significantly influence the direction of explainer topics, emphasising the importance of data-driven content creation.

1. Develop more explainer content that taps into surprising and niche audience interests, such as geopolitical or scientific topics.
2. Enhance the use of multimedia formats, like video and graphics, to present explainers in more engaging and accessible ways.
3. Foster collaboration with academic and expert sources to ensure the accuracy and depth of the contextual content provided in explainers.

While covering local councils can be challenging, it serves a vital role in community engagement and democratic accountability.Key recommendations included:

1. Maintaining professional distance while building working relationships with councilors
2. Using multimedia approaches to increase engagement
3. Taking advantage of legal resources like ABC’s pro bono defamation service
4. Focusing on operational decisions rather than personal conflicts
5. Understanding the distinction between council staff and elected officials
6.  The significant role of CEOs and bureaucrats in council operations, often overshadowing elected officials
7. Issues around council transparency and attempts to restrict media access
8. The value of multimedia reporting in engaging younger audiences with local government issues

1. Use LINA’s pro bono legal service to check council reporting content before publishing
2. Sign up for the upcoming defamation workshop on April 15, 2025
3. Attend local council meetings to monitor and report on proceedings
4. Build relationships with individual councillors as reliable sources while maintaining professional boundaries
5. Monitor council spending and budgets, particularly CEO salaries and expenses
6. Document and report on planning decisions made by local council
7. Create multimedia content (videos, visuals) to better engage younger audiences about council matters
8. Register as a Copyright Agency member to protect content being used by councils

1. It’s important to set a measurable and achievable goal, that may or may not be scalable in the future.
2. Mentorship from highly experienced industry experts has been one of the most valuable aspects of the program.
3. The program encourages piloting and experimentation, and accountability to some self-imposed deadlines.

1. Submit an EOI for the 2026 Revenue Growth Program

1.  Implementing new tools like BroadStreet Ads
2. Exploring AI applications for content
3. Adding young journalists to boards
4. Developing clearer mission statements
5. Refining media kits
6. Building collaborative relationships

1. We are stronger together, keep in touch with each other and with LINA on issues in your regions

1. Collaboration is key: together we can share services, ideas and even perhaps personnel to improve newsroom offerings. Note that there is some tension between content sharing/syndication and local news outlets/LINA’s editorial standards requiring locally produced content, but this can be navigated. 
2. Many newsrooms don’t have the capacity to support intern journalists—LINA may be able to assist with support on this. 
3. There is some interest in a shared journalist in Parliament House to deliver content commissioned by LINA members.

1. LINA will consider all the ideas raised in these sessions, and work out a plan for implementing the most valuable.
2. Contact us with any further ideas or suggestions.

1. Innovating ad solutions, like integrating social media posts into local ads, can significantly enhance client retention and satisfaction.
2. Building tools tailored for small publishers helps local businesses compete against major platforms like Google and Facebook.
3. A sustainable and prosperous local news ecosystem depends on dedicated efforts to support community-focused publishers.

1.  Identify potential advertisers or organizations where innovative ad formats could be implemented effectively.
2. Develop a strategy to enhance audience engagement through creative and differentiated ad offerings.
3. Foster relationships with local publishers to better understand their challenges and tailor solutions accordingly.
4. Watch Broadsheet’s How to Sell Digital Advertising in 30 minutes.
5. Watch What’s Possible on Broadstreet.

1. Filming video content doesn’t have to be expensive or time consuming; when starting out, try filming short snippets using your phone.
2. Some content ideas for news publishers; live streaming (like Newsport filming their local beach), vertical content bites via social media, website/app content like Women’s Agenda sharing entrepreneurial videos, vodcasts
3. If recording a vodcast, film the person reacting to the anecdote — the listener. If you film your podcast episode, you can clip snippets for social media
4. If you’re on a low budget, partner with larger organisations like competitor news outlets, e.g. what LINA member The Jewish Independent has done with SBS. You can also syndicate content from these outlets to embed in articles or add into your own video.

1. Before creating a podcast, ask yourself; who is your niche target audience? What type of content is underserved to that niche audience? Why am I/the host going to be someone they listen to?
2. Keep your podcast introduction under two minutes
3. You need to market your podcast digitally, or you’re just sending out your mp3 file out into the void and hoping someone listens
4. The speed that you hear is faster than the speed of visualising — when recording your podcast episode, allow for some time for your audience to visualise
5. Listen to the following news podcasts for inspiration: The Squiz, The Daily (New York Times), If You’re Listening (ABC).

1. Reference the user needs model to ensure your content is covering a wide range of needs. Many news publishers focus heavily on ‘update me’, despite that being the least engaged-with content.
2. Watch time and interaction/engagement rate is more important than views for news organisations
3. Canva resources for news publishers: Canva for journalists website, Canva design school, Canva for journalists YouTube playlist
4. Use Flourish for data journalism: the site assists you with presenting information in animated format/graphs etc