In regards to office leasing, I do believe that the Oberon Review closed their offices in the last few years with reporters/admin now working remotely. I’d expect this sort of set up in the coming months/years as a result of similar decisions.
Edit: https://www.oberonreview.com.au/story/5804328/the-times-keep-changing-but-the-reviews-here-to-stay/
News Corp announced recently it was suspending printing of its suburban newspapers in NSW, VIC, SA and QLD. But I didn’t imagine it was suspending publication of digital PDF editions of the papers either. I checked the Herald Sun website just then and noticed the link to digital editions had been temporarily removed. If you don’t use Google search you won’t be able to find the link and catch up on past editions.
Executive chairman of news publisher ACM Antony Catalano has applauded a Victorian government support package for regional newspapers and urged other states and territories to follow suit.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said his government would spend $4.7 million on weekly advertising in more than 100 regional media outlets over the next six months to bolster local newspapers and keep regional Victorians informed about coronavirus.
The Andrews government’s newspaper advertising package was developed in consultation with the Victorian Country Press Association.
To support public interest journalism during the COVID-19 pandemic the release of the 2020 Round of the Regional and Small Publishers Innovation Fund has been brought forward. Applications open today to regional and metropolitan applicants.
Administered by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), a total of $5 million is available for the 2020 Round, with a maximum of $400,000 for any applicant.
ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin said the funding will assist publishers of public interest journalism, particularly in regional areas.
“The Innovation Fund has a strong record of helping publishers improve their sustainability and develop a range of innovative projects,” Ms O’Loughlin said.
“We hope to see a diversity of publishers from all over Australia apply for this grant. It is designed to assist publishers adapt to the challenges in the evolving media landscape.”
Previously funded projects include the development of audio news and podcasts, staff training on the use of new digital technology and the transition to new or updated websites and market research.
The ACMA will assess each application against the eligibility criteria. Eligible applications will be assessed against the assessment criteria, working closely with an Independent Advisory Committee appointed by the Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts.
Publishers and content service providers interested in applying should go to the government’s GrantConnect website (search GO ID: GO3940) where the grant opportunity is listed. This includes all the necessary information to apply online.
Applicants can find further details at acma.gov.au/innovationfund. Applications for this round of funding close on 22 May 2020. The ACMA expects to announce successful applicants in July 2020.
The Innovation Fund is part of the three year Regional and Small Publishers Jobs and Innovation package which began in 2018. This 2020 Round is separate to the Public Interest News Gathering (PING) Fund recently announced by the Australian Government in response to recommendations of the ACCC’s Digital Platforms Inquiry.
Will it then be overridden by a rorting minister? 
(Or is that only in the year before an election?)
Another paper to add to the list of those to close thanks to COVID-19 - I’ve heard this morning that the Barraba Gazette has closed and won’t reopen - by all accounts advertising was pretty bad pre-Coronavirus
ACM stops printing most of its papers so the local councils can’t advertise in the papers as they are legally required to do, so the NSW government changes the law so they don’t have to advertise as they currently can’t, yet Catalano gets upset that the councils now don’t have to advertise in his non-existent newspapers.
From the article:
However, a Google search for whatever council development applications will generally find the appropriate page for you. You don’t have to go through the menus on the council websites.
This change has been coming for a while
This is probably the best place to share this following article.
The breakdown of the funding by sector is $20m for television, $18m for publishing and $12m for radio – but the government is not revealing the individual business names at this stage because the grant agreements are yet to be signed.
The Morrison Government has today announced that 107 regional publishers and broadcasters who applied to the Public Interest News Gathering (PING) Program will receive a share of $50 million in funding committed to support regional news services in 2020-21.
Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, said this funding will support newspaper businesses and commercial broadcasters across regional and remote Australia.
“These are unprecedented circumstances in regional media - with COVID-19 triggering catastrophic drops in advertising revenue leading to many newspapers suspending operations and threatening the sustainability of regional broadcasters.
“The Morrison Government is responding to these exceptional circumstances with this specific and time-limited support measure, designed to assist the continued provision of quality news and information to communities across regional and remote Australia.
“Through this program the Government is providing $20 million for television, $18 million for publishing and $12 million for radio, with funds to flow from July.
“Public interest journalism is critical to keeping communities informed. PING will provide direct support for the continued provision of local and regional journalism, which has never been more important than in recent times when communities across Australia need access to trusted sources of news and information,” Minister Fletcher said.
Of the 107 eligible applicants, there are 92 publishers, 13 for radio and five for television. Three applicants were successful across two streams.
“The majority of the publishers receiving grants under this program operate small-to-medium businesses. Local papers are the life-blood of many towns across Australia. They connect communities and keep people informed.
“Successful applicants will put these funds to good use to support a broad range of activities such as staff wages, training and technology upgrades that will allow them to keep delivering news that local communities need and want,” Minister Fletcher said.
Applications were assessed through a demand-driven grant process conducted by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. In determining funding amounts for each sector, consideration was given to the overall reach of each media sector and revenue used to produce public interest journalism.
The Department will work with successful applicants to develop and enter into grant arrangements as soon as possible. Information on grantees will be published on GrantsConnect at www.grants.gov.au following the execution of grant agreements.
Consistent with the PING guidelines, grants are conditional on publishers of suspended mastheads returning them to operation and recommencing print distribution.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has today announced the successful grant recipients of the 2020 Round of the Regional and Small Publishers Innovation Fund.
Forty-one small and regional publishers will share in the $5 million available in the 2020 Round to help them address some of the significant challenges facing the news industry.
ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin said the funding is a boost for public interest journalism, particularly in regional areas with two-thirds of the available funding being awarded to regional applicants.
“The Innovation Fund has a strong record of helping news publishers improve their sustainability. This new round of funding will support projects that will improve each grantee’s capacity to generate public interest journalism including funding for journalists, staff training, new digital technology and website upgrades,” Ms O’Loughlin said.
Successful recipients include:
- The Trustee for Parkes-Brown Family Trust ( Glasshouse Country News —Glasshouse Mountains, Queensland) will receive up to $108,200 to develop a new website and digital content publishing platform to support its production of public interest journalism and increase efficiency in production.
- North Central Review Pty Ltd ( North Central Review —Mitchell Shire, Victoria) will receive up to $119,410 to engage a digital marketing officer and to upgrade its online sales technology and video production equipment to improve its digital and social media presence.
- Word Count Media Pty Ltd ( Pittwater Life magazine , Pittwater NSW) will receive up to $42,768 to engage two specialist freelance journalists to increase public interest journalism output and support its local service delivery.
Of the forty-one successful grant recipients, 16 are from New South Wales, 12 are from Victoria, 6 are from Queensland, 2 are from South Australia, 2 are from the ACT, 2 are from Tasmania and one is from Western Australia.
The ACMA received more than 300 applications for the 2020 Round, almost three times the previous round.
The ACMA carefully assessed each application against eligibility and merit criteria and was assisted by an independent advisory committee appointed by the Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP.
In total, the ACMA has awarded more than $17.6 million under the Innovation Fund since 2018. The government also recently announced that 107 regional publishers and broadcasters will receive a share of $50 million in funding under its Public Interest News Gathering (PING) program.
While applicants could apply for both funds, the ACMA cannot fund the same activities that have been funded under the PING. The ACMA will now work with all successful 2020 Round recipients to negotiate the funding for eligible activities and finalise grant agreements.
The Innovation Fund and the PING are part of the government’s $60.4 million Regional and Small Publishers Jobs and Innovation Package.
UPDATE 21/8:
UPDATE 5/11:
The Border Watch was saved by several businessmen in September and resumed as a weekly with a digital presence on October 16.
Broken Hill’s only newspaper, The Barrier Daily Truth, features on Australian Story next Monday. It was one of many small regional papers affected by the pandemic.
Having being born in Broken Hill, I truely love that newspaper. Great mix of local, nsw/sa and international news.