The facts, data & events shaping Australian news media
- New PIJI data reveals the communities living without local news – the scale of which deserves the attention of 2022 federal election candidates.
- A lack of local news undermines community resilience, emergency responses, institutional accountability and, can foster mis/disinformation.
- PIJI’s 2022 Federal Election Position Paper calls for stimuli for public interest journalism and for funding of core industry data collection.
Read PIJI’s Federal Election Position Paper
Australian Newsroom Mapping Project
The March 2022 Australian Newsroom Mapping Project Report has been released.
The report contains more details about the latest stage of the project: Local News Producers mapped by LGA.
Sector Roundup
- Submissions to the News Media Bargaining Code Review close May 6
While a significant piece of legislation, parts of Australia’s media sector currently feel under-served by the Code in its current form. Last month over 30 Australian publishers took part in a 24-hour news blackout, demanding greater accountability from Facebook. - Last month’s Recommendations from the Regional Newspapers Inquiry recognised the importance of gathering and analysing core longitudinal data on regional newspapers. Core industry data collection has been an integral part of PIJI’s work since 2019. Our latest data release focuses on mapping local print and digital news producers nationally.
- Also recommended by the Regional Newspapers Inquiry was a tax rebate for public interest journalism. Previous PIJI research has suggested that an R&D-style tax rebate for public interest journalism could have a significant positive investment impact – with a benefit-cost ratio of up to 1.90 and, as much as $356m additional benefit.
- Professor Julian Thomas (RMIT University) has resigned from PIJI’s Expert Research Panel, of which he has been a valuable member.
Professor Thomas has contributed significantly to PIJI’s research development over the years and PIJI thanks him for his support. - Cadetship Stream 2022
Applications for the Journalist Fund Cadetship stream close 5pm, 20 April 2022.
The program assist regional media organisations to hire new cadet journalists. JFC Factsheet.pdf
Sessions from the 2022 Walkley Regional Journalism Summit are now available.
WATCH PIJI CEO Anna Draffin and experts Sue Cross (Institute for Nonprofit News) Natalie Egleton (Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal) and, Jonathan Heawood (Public Interest News Foundation, UK) discuss; How can policy, philanthropy and public buy-in intersect to secure the future for public interest journalism?