PIJI’s first industry roundtable in its Future Focus series turned a spotlight on the health of local news markets over recent years.
Key leaders from across the local public interest news sector gathered in Sydney for a robust discussion on its future, as part of a PIJI roundtable held on local news and its future.
The event was the first in a series hosted by PIJI set to identify, interrogate and tackle some of the challenges and opportunities facing public interest journalism in Australia.
December’s event investigated the state of news in local areas, including how demand and consumption patterns have changed, how news producers have responded to, and considerations impacting the future supply of local news.
The Minister for Communications, the Hon. Michelle Rowland MP, gave the keynote address in which she made several major announcements, including $800,000 for PIJI to continue its work in 2024, noting PIJI’s significant contribution to the evidence base for the News Media Assistance Program (News MAP).
She also announced the launch of a public consultation process for the News MAP, with its focus on four key policy objectives: access, quality, diversity and engagement. Comment is sought on these policy objectives, potential measures to support media diversity and public interest journalism, and evidence to inform future policy with submissions due by 22 February 2024.
The roundtable also saw the launch of a new research report, Socio-economic determinants of Print and Digital Public Interest Journalism in Australia, commissioned by PIJI and conducted by Monash Business School’s SoDa Laboratories that sought to identify factors that may impact the commercial viability of local news markets.
A second research report, entitled ‘GenAI and Journalism: Biting the bullet…not quite yet’, was presented by the University of Technology Sydney’s Centre for Media Transition followed by a broad discussion around generative AI within participants ’newsrooms.
Key issues raised in discussion across the day were:
- The News Media Bargaining Code
- Attracting and retaining journalists, especially in regional areas
- Media regulation
- Funding mechanisms
- Media literacy
- News avoidance
- News deserts and competition to local news outlets.
PIJI expects to host another Future Focus Roundtable later this year.
Each roundtable will have a specific focus and bring together key decision-makers from news media, broader business, government, academia and civil society. PIJI is committed to assisting collaborative efforts and evidence-based solutions to the long-term viability, diversity and integrity of news in a world of fast-changing technology and information systems.