Regional and rural papers providing public interest journalism will get financial assistance in what the Minns Labor government says is its ‘ongoing work to deliver solutions which will support regional NSW communities to thrive.
Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said, ‘Regional media plays a vital role in keeping their communities informed and reporting on matters of importance, as well as informing, celebrating and connecting people.’
‘The Minns Labor government understands the importance of local papers and local stories particularly in regional communities. It is regional and rural papers that help get local issues on the agenda that would otherwise fall through the cracks.
‘We understand complex barriers face these outlets, including the rise of technology. This funding is about providing responsible support which will ease the pressure facing regional media,’ said the minister.
Ongoing challenges
Country Press Australia had lobbied extensively for this funding, and NSW President Lucie Peart said of this ‘key piece of the government’s election commitment’ that, ‘we are grateful that this round will provide further support to regional publishers. Since the first round of the fund, the landscape for regional news businesses has changed; we are challenged by digital platforms and a further decline in newsrooms across the state.
‘This second round of funding will provide a boost to the regional news industry and allow journalists and local newspaper publishers to keep doing what they do best – keeping communities informed and providing vital public interest journalism.’
The Echo’s General Manager, Simon Haslam, unsurprisingly welcomed the news.
‘Each community has a distinctive voice, issues, range of opinions and level of engagement,’ he said.
‘We are lucky here in the Byron Shire to have more engaged, positive community members interested in contributing their energy to an informed debate than elsewhere. If a diversity of constructive opinions is distributed free to the whole community, this builds a more tolerant, informed community.
‘The process is diluted by corporate media groups with a broader focus than local issues, and tech giants with a financial interest in polarising opinions. As we’ve seen in the US, this tribal approach to the truth is bad for a democratic society.
‘Small, independent papers are part of this process, the more of them the greater the chance that everyone will hear their issues raised in their community, and stay part of the democratic process.’
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
