In 2021, PIJI made a submission to government on the Media Reform Green Paper — Modernising television regulation in Australia.
PIJI’s Submission on the Media Reform Green Paper: Modernising television regulation in Australia noted that television remains a trusted source of news for Australians. It recommended that:
- To complement content obligations, any new broadcasting regulatory framework should be designed to incentivise news programming and diversity, and where direct relief is provided, it should carry some obligation to that public benefit.
- Any transition must ensure that Australians do not experience any decrease in access to news content wherever they reside in Australia and that they continue to enjoy a choice of Australian news providers.
- Media regulation also needs to encompass the different commercial realities faced by regional, remote and metropolitan broadcasters.
- While there are fundamental differences between public and commercial broadcasters, any reform must be inclusive of common interest, specifically regarding safeguards and innovation for public interest journalism.
PIJI’s submission also supported the Green Paper’s proposal for a Public Interest News Gathering (PING) Trust, funded by the sale of broadcast spectrum and providing grants to public interest journalism producers.