Guardian Australia has announced the expansion of its state-level coverage in NSW, VIC, and QLD. Each state now hosts a larger reporting team and geo-targeted local content relevant for readers on the ground.
The announcement comes at a time where local news reporting in Australia’s regional areas is extremely limited, despite often being the only source for local news according to the recent parliamentary inquiry into Australia’s regional news services.
The Guardian’s state-based reporting will deepen existing coverage on topics including state politics, health, education, infrastructure, climate and more, combining analysis, breaking news, features, and interviews. A team of nine journalists and editors have been hired to deliver the coverage, with hopes to expand to more states in the future.
Readers will be served state news via new geo-located sections on the Guardian’s homepage and app. Readers in New South Wales will see a container populated with relevant New South Wales stories, for example.
The expansion is funded by Google News Initiative after the News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code, more commonly referred to as the Media Code laws, passed last year.
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“Long before Covid-19 made briefings by state premiers must-watch daily news events, I had wanted to find a way to expand Guardian Australia’s coverage of the states,” writes Guardian Australia editor, Lenore Taylor.
“A big state story will still lead our site, but the state containers will allow us to follow it for longer, and to make sure we have covered the most important stories in that state, even when they don’t dominate the national news, or when other national events may supersede them.
“We won’t have the volume of coverage of the big state mastheads, but guided by Guardian Australia’s news values and priorities, the new state editors and reporters will offer readers a fresh perspective on their state. Being national, but with state-focused teams, we will aim to knit state and federal news together so our audience gets a fuller picture.”