Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP, has said she is “focused on ways to enable a diverse and sustainable media landscape to support a strong and healthy democracy.”
In her opening address at the second annual LINA Summit, Rowland told the audience that “local, hyper-local, digital and independent news is key to this.”
She also spoke about a bill being worked on to introduce an Australian content obligation on streaming services, as well as legislation to give ACMA the ability to hold digital platforms to account for misinformation and disinformation online.
“All Australians – regardless of where they live – want, and deserve, access to local news that they can rely upon. LINA’s members provide precisely that,” Rowland said.
LINA Summit 2024
The summit is held in Port Douglas and co-hosted by Port Douglas’ local news service, Newsport. It brings together more than 75 delegates from across the country, representing more than 50 news-making organisations and industry stakeholders.
Topics of the week include revenue and sustainability for newsrooms, audience trust and engagement, public interest journalism, and how journalists and publishers can support their work by harnessing new technology, including AI.
LINA executive director Claire Stuchbery said the summit was “an opportunity for publishers to connect with one another while workshopping new strategies and receiving training and insights from expert leaders in the media.
“It’s important that we support news publishers through this turbulent time of industry transition by providing them with resources to diversify income streams, connect with new audiences, and continue to produce high quality news within their communities.”
Stuchbery also pointed to the importance of local news in places like Port Douglas, with titles such as Newsport covering the impact of, and recovery operation for, Severe Tropical Cyclone Jasper.
“Local newsrooms play a critical role delivering information and connecting communities in a media landscape that is becoming increasingly impacted by news deserts and content syndication.”