Australia’s regional newspapers have been excluded from the latest federal government advertising campaign to promote awareness of the issues around the coming national ‘Indigenous Voice to Parliament’ referendum.
Despite the fact that country print media has a proven high rate of penetration into the community, the government’s latest campaign to promote The Voice in country papers in print and online is silent.
The national industry body for regional newspapers, Country Press Australia (CPA) is urging the government to recognise the major communication role country print and online media plays in rural communities.
Members of CPA will be lobbying the Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland and the Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney to highlight the need for information on the important referendum to be advertised in country newspapers.
“The Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum is a historic moment for all Australians” CPA argues.
“It shouldn’t matter how far any Australian citizen may live from the parliaments and inner-city newsrooms of our metropolitan media when it comes to their opportunity for information, consultation and engagement in the referendum process.
“The rise of disinformation in this era when an increasing number of people are getting their ‘news’ from unregulated sources on the internet poses a great risk to the integrity of the referendum, and democracy in general.
“The member publications of Country Press Australia reach more regional Australians with trusted independent local news than any other medium.
“We were stunned to learn that independent regional newspapers have not been included in the most recent government advertising schedule for the referendum.
“This decision, if left to stand, will help reinforce the strongest criticism of the referendum in remote and regional Australia – that it is a flawed mechanism focused on the power centres of Canberra and our capital cities.
“Our readers in regional and remote Australia will rely heavily on the local news our local journalists produce as they form their view for how to vote, and if critical government messaging is not to be found in the place that most will come to find that information, it will be both a major failure of the communications strategy and an insult to remote and regional Australians.
“The recently released Deakin University report on ‘Media innovation and the civic future of Australia’s country press’ confirmed that, ‘Securing the future of quality and reliable news and information platforms in non-metropolitan areas is in the national interest.”
The report refers to numerous parliamentary inquiries examining aspects of rural and regional news since 2016, as well as a Digital Platforms Inquiry, conducted by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and a parliamentary inquiry into the future of local newspapers and concludes that, “Simply put, it is now widely understood that local news matters to our democracy, but it has struggled and requires support.”
“The same report found, “Our research suggests government policies and advertising spending is the single most influential factor in providing baseline surety to the long-term sustainability of small, independently owned news outlets in rural, regional and suburban Australia.”
“The Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum is a historic moment for all Australians, and the members of Country Press Australia will be fighting to ensure regional and remote Australians are connected and engaged in the process, and country news media must not be forgotten in the government advertising schedule.
“We support the fundamental right of all 26 million Australians to be well informed about the referendum which proposes a change to our constitution.
“Communication for the referendum should reflect this right and all mediums, including trusted independent regional newspapers, should be used with the aim to effectively reach every Australian citizen.”
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Lack of a regional voice for The Voice
Jun 13, 2023
Australia’s regional newspapers have been excluded from the latest federal government advertising campaign to promote awareness of the issues around the coming national ‘Indigenous Voice to Parliament’ referendum.
Despite the fact that country print media has a proven high rate of penetration into the community, the government’s latest campaign to promote The Voice in country papers in print and online is silent.
The national industry body for regional newspapers, Country Press Australia (CPA) is urging the government to recognise the major communication role country print and online media plays in rural communities.
Members of CPA will be lobbying the Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland and the Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney to highlight the need for information on the important referendum to be advertised in country newspapers.
“The Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum is a historic moment for all Australians” CPA argues.
“It shouldn’t matter how far any Australian citizen may live from the parliaments and inner-city newsrooms of our metropolitan media when it comes to their opportunity for information, consultation and engagement in the referendum process.
“The rise of disinformation in this era when an increasing number of people are getting their ‘news’ from unregulated sources on the internet poses a great risk to the integrity of the referendum, and democracy in general.
“The member publications of Country Press Australia reach more regional Australians with trusted independent local news than any other medium.
“We were stunned to learn that independent regional newspapers have not been included in the most recent government advertising schedule for the referendum.
“This decision, if left to stand, will help reinforce the strongest criticism of the referendum in remote and regional Australia – that it is a flawed mechanism focused on the power centres of Canberra and our capital cities.
“Our readers in regional and remote Australia will rely heavily on the local news our local journalists produce as they form their view for how to vote, and if critical government messaging is not to be found in the place that most will come to find that information, it will be both a major failure of the communications strategy and an insult to remote and regional Australians.
“The recently released Deakin University report on ‘Media innovation and the civic future of Australia’s country press’ confirmed that, ‘Securing the future of quality and reliable news and information platforms in non-metropolitan areas is in the national interest.”
The report refers to numerous parliamentary inquiries examining aspects of rural and regional news since 2016, as well as a Digital Platforms Inquiry, conducted by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and a parliamentary inquiry into the future of local newspapers and concludes that, “Simply put, it is now widely understood that local news matters to our democracy, but it has struggled and requires support.”
“The same report found, “Our research suggests government policies and advertising spending is the single most influential factor in providing baseline surety to the long-term sustainability of small, independently owned news outlets in rural, regional and suburban Australia.”
“The Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum is a historic moment for all Australians, and the members of Country Press Australia will be fighting to ensure regional and remote Australians are connected and engaged in the process, and country news media must not be forgotten in the government advertising schedule.
“We support the fundamental right of all 26 million Australians to be well informed about the referendum which proposes a change to our constitution.
“Communication for the referendum should reflect this right and all mediums, including trusted independent regional newspapers, should be used with the aim to effectively reach every Australian citizen.”
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Dylan Smith