The Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland, has announced $180.5 million investment to support local news and community broadcasting, including the launch of the News Media Assistance Program (News MAP).

A key component of the plan is $153.5 million allocated over four years to implement News MAP, developed through extensive public and industry consultation. News MAP aims to reinforce public interest journalism and “ensure the sustainability of local news.

Key new measures include:

  • A new policy framework guiding government intervention to support public interest journalism.
  • An advisory panel focused on sustainability and capacity-building for news organisations.
  • $33 million over three years to support the Australian Associated Press (AAP) newswire service.
  • $116.7 million over four years to enhance the capacity of news organisations, including $17.6 million for program delivery support through the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, and the Arts.
  • $3.8 million over three years for Australia’s first National Media Literacy Strategy, designed to equip Australians with critical media engagement skills.

“The News MAP builds on the Albanese Government’s support for a strong, diverse, and independent media sector with a new policy framework and range of measures to support news and public interest journalism,” said Minister Rowland.

This announcement builds on earlier commitments, including $15 million to assist multicultural, and First Nations, regional, and suburban publishers, and $10.5 million for the Australian Communications and Media Authority to implement the Media Diversity Measurement Framework.

Additional measures include a $3 million per year over two years for regional newspaper advertising as part of the Commonwealth media advertising spend.

Further funding of $27 million has been allocated to community broadcasting, with $15 million through the Community Broadcasting Program (CBP) over three years—$3 million of which will support community television. An additional $12 million has been directed through the Indigenous Broadcasting and Media Program (IBMP) to strengthen First Nations media.

Source: AAP