NEWS IN THE COMMUNITY
2014
At News Corp Australia we seek to help improve the communities we serve across the country. We work every day to report on what matters to our readers, argue in favour of initiatives that build stronger, safer and better communities and tell stories that inspire Australians. In short, we inform, advocate and inspire to help build a better Australia. This report outlines what we aim to achieve with our editorial and community initiatives, and tells some of the stories of our work across Australia.
CEO Julian Clarke
Our newspapers around the nation have a long and proud history of working on behalf of the communities they serve. In fact, our corporate aim is to inform, advocate and inspire to help build a better Australia. We also support a wide range of programs, from fundraising for medical research, to investments in educational programs for young Australians, to raising millions of dollars for communities affected by natural disasters. Taken together, our editorial coverage and corporate programs have helped countless Australians. Some highlights from this report include: • The support that The Australian offers to the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation, which aims to raise $140 million and help educate 7000 Indigenous Australians in leading schools, providing opportunity to each of these people; • The campaign The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph and NewsLocal ran to demand better services for Western Sydney. This has seen the State Government start relocating more
than 3000 public sector workers to Western Sydney, increase funding to aged care facilities and commence work on a second airport; • The Good Friday Appeal which was started in 1931 and has raised over $258 million. With the strong support of the Herald Sun, Herald Sun Sunday, The Weekly Times and the Geelong Advertiser, this year the Appeal raised a record of over $16 million for the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. There are many more such examples throughout this News in the Community report, just as worthy of highlighting as these three. We have a broad range of stakeholders – readers, customers, business partners, governments, public institutions, and our many thousands of employees. In this report you can discover how we work hard to earn the trust and support of them all. We hope that you find this report informative and inspiring.
Julian Clarke Chief Executive Officer
Community Ambassador Penny Fowler
We are delighted to share our first News in the Community report with you. Every day our people are working hard to give back to communities. This work includes fundraising for drought affected farmers in NSW, saving WA’s Serpentine River and recovering food to feed the disadvantaged in Melbourne. We are proud of our employees and their involvement in the community. Some of our initiatives go back decades - The Courier-Mail’s Children’s Fund has been in existence for over 100 years; The Advertiser Foundation has raised over $5 million over 21 years; and The Herald & Weekly Times support of the Good Friday Appeal began in 1931.
contributions, and honoured more than 550 people since its launch in 2004; • ANZAC to Afghanistan - a multi-year initiative that will engage our readers, including young people across Australia, with 100 years of untold war stories in an innovative and contemporary way; • Jobs 2014 - a partnership with Woolworths Limited and other major Australian firms, which called on businesses throughout Australia to recruit people, and helped 2400 Australians find a job over an eight-week period.
What connects all these projects is News Corp Australia’s commitment to building better communities through both our editorial coverage and our corporate programs.
Our community report highlights many of our initiatives within the communities in which we work and live. Whilst we have not been able to include everything, we trust this report gives you an understanding of the passionate, principled and purposeful company that is News Corp.
National highlights of the past year include:
We hope you enjoy News in the Community.
• The 10th anniversary of Pride of Australia - this unique program recognises unsung heroes in communities across the country, has shared more than 19,000 stories of inspiring and selfless
Penny Fowler Community Ambassador Chairman, The Herald & Weekly Times
The Pride of Australia Medal recognises people for the difference they make in a second, or over a lifetime, in the lives of others. I look forward to reading about those Australians who have inspired us and made us proud. Prime Minister, The Hon Tony Abbott
Photographer: Adam Taylor - News Corp Australia
Photographers (clockwise from top): Craig Greenhill, photo supplied, Luke Fuda, Gregg Porteous - News Corp Australia
BIG IMPACT STARTS WITH CLEAR FOCUS NEWS IN THE COMMUNITY
STRONGER COMMUNITIES
EDUCATION FOR ALL
HEALTHY NATION
We believe Australian communities should be strong, liveable and connected.
We believe education is good for our society and critical to long term prosperity.
We believe health leads to productivity.
We use our influence to help local economies, create job opportunities and support those that are disadvantaged. We strive to ensure our communities are safe and inclusive.
Everyone should have access to a good education and it is our goal to help make sure this happens for all Australians.
By championing health and lifestyle issues, encouraging participation in sport and supporting community groups, we can play a broader role in improving the environment, health and wellbeing of all Australians.
NEWS
RESPONSIBILITY
A free press is the foundation of democracy. We take responsibility for upholding it. We are vigilant on any encroachment on our ability to report without fear or favour.
We believe in operating our business responsibly, treating our employees fairly, acting with integrity and supporting programs that contribute to the vitality of the media sector.
STRONGER COMMUNITIES HIGHLIGHTS
Communities are what newspapers are all about. We believe Australian communities should be strong, liveable and connected. We understand what is important, and we have the ability to shape the agenda. As an organisation that reaches every corner of Australia, we see it as our role to help bring people together around the big issues that make Australian communities stronger. We do this by supporting local economies and creating job opportunities, ensuring our communities are safe, advocating inclusion, and publishing content that reflects the diversity of our audience. We support communities at their best and in hard times. We are there to help rebuild communities through support in disaster recovery and by profiling all that makes Australia a remarkable place to live.
Photographer: Katrina Bridgeford - News Corp Australia
Pride of Australia Medal Now in its 10th year, the prestigious Pride of Australia Medal recognises those throughout the community who encourage and inspire us every day. Each year, News Corp Australia celebrates ordinary Australians who have done extraordinary things. They are our nation’s most inspiring people whose contributions often go unnoticed outside their own circles. They represent many Australians who, by going out of their way to help their neighbours, make our communities better places.
Real Heroes Walk Away
Jobs 2014
Generation Success
Real Heroes Walk Away is a national campaign to end senseless violence on our streets and in pubs and clubs around Australia. It’s about taking responsibility for yourself on a night out - and helping the hotheads in your social circle understand the devastating impact a split-second decision to throw a punch can have on victims and their families.
Jobs 2014, the nation’s biggest ever community-inspired employment drive, saw News Corp Australia harness more than 100 community newspapers across Australia to drive jobs and encourage employers to give youths a chance to kick-start their careers.
Lead by News Corp Australia and Woolworths Limited, Generation Success united public and private sector leaders to draw attention to youth unemployment in Australia. The initiative and campaign provided practical tips and advice to support employers and young people, as well as parents and educators. Some of Australia’s major companies committed to employing more young people.
Photographers (from L to R): Helen Orr, Brodie Campbell, Lawrence Pinder - News Corp Australia
EDUCATION FOR ALL HIGHLIGHTS
Education is a foundation for so much. It is good for our society and good for business. We believe everyone should have access to a good education and it is our goal to help make sure this happens for all Australians. This doesn’t just mean having great schools and great teachers, it means enhancing our creativity, innovation, digital and vocational skills, for all sections of our communities, particularly our youth and Indigenous.
Photographer: Richard Hatherly - News Corp Australia
One Laptop Per Child One Laptop Per Child is a not-forprofit organisation dedicated to digitally connecting and enhancing the educational experiences of children. To date the program has shipped over 36,020 XO laptops to disadvantaged schools.
100 Years of Untold Stories: ANZAC to Afghanistan News Corp Australia and the State Library of NSW will bring to all Australians, for the first time, the evocative and often confronting war diaries of diggers who served in World War I. The partnership is part of a broad ANZAC centenary program that will also see our business encourage modern day diggers to share their stories at war and work with the Australian War Memorial (AWM) to preserve for future generations their experiences of war.
Mr Men Givewaway A Newspoll survey uncovered that 60 per cent of parents confessed to wanting to read to their children, but found they were lacking time and energy. News Corp Australia ran the Mr Men and Little Miss promotion across the country to encourage early childhood reading.
Photographers (from L to R): Stephen Cooper, Luke Bowden, Damian Bester - News Corp Australia
News in Education The News in Education initiative provides teachers with school kits linked to in-paper content. As providers of credible, trusted content, our publications build loyalty and an ongoing relationship with teachers and students.
HEALTHY NATION HIGHLIGHTS
Health leads to productivity. Health leads to happiness. Good health is where a good life begins. We have a long history of supporting medical research and children’s hospitals. But our support doesn’t stop there. By championing health and lifestyle issues, encouraging participation in sports and supporting community groups, we can play a broader role in helping tackle issues and improve the environment, health and wellbeing of all Australians.
Photographer: Bob Barker - News Corp Australia
1 Degree 1 Degree is News Corp Australia’s environmental sustainability initiative. It’s about the small steps we can all take that add up to big change. From FY2006 to end of FY2014, our business has achieved a 36 per cent reduction in our carbon footprint, we have committed to sourcing 100 per cent of our newsprint from Chain of Custody certified paper mills by the end of 2015 and we will continue to grow engagement with our employees and the community. News Corp Australia joins News Corp’s global environment initiative which commits to minimising our environmental impact, growing sustainably and inspiring others to take action.
Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
National Breast Cancer Foundation
Special Olympics
As one of Australia’s largest media companies, we are committed to championing groups, individuals and causes in the community. We are proud to support the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute’s (MCRI) work into worldleading child health research. News Corp Australia supported MCRI’s Stepathon initiative which encourages children to “step to a healthier future.”
News Corp Australia was recognised this year for championing breast cancer research for more than 10 years. Through assisting the National Breast Cancer Foundation to raise awareness of the importance of research, News Corp Australia has contributed to raising over $105 million to fund research into a cure.
Through the power of sport, Special Olympics strives to create a better world by fostering the acceptance and inclusion of all people, especially those with an intellectual disability. News Corp Australia supports this vision and will continue to support the benefits of inclusion through sport and the health benefits organised sport offers to the disabled in our community.
Photographers (from L to R): Jason Sammon, Renae Droop, Marc McCormack - News Corp Australia
NEWS RESPONSIBILITY
Responsibility to employees
Responsibility to news
We believe in recognising and rewarding our people, ensuring safe working environments and drawing on the talents of Australians from all backgrounds. We do this through programs such as the News Awards (which recognise editorial and journalistic excellence), embedding work place safety throughout the company, and providing opportunities to our employees.
We believe all Australians should have access to trusted information that is relevant to their lives. We strongly support a free press and holding governments and businesses to account. Our reportage has helped improve public administration, uncover corruption and make our communities safer places to live. Our publications stand up in favour of investment and creating jobs, health and wellbeing and initiatives to support better education outcomes.
The enthusiasm, passion, talent and commitment of our people shape our future. Our employees thrive on being challenged and working in a fast-paced, stimulating environment.
Over the last ten years News Awards has honoured thousands of outstanding employees - from editors, news gatherers and storytellers; to designers, illustrators, photographers and innovators. Campbell Reid, Group Editorial Director
Photographer: Mark Cranitch - News Corp Australia
Responsibility to stakeholders
Responsibility to the media industry
We are responsible to multiple stakeholders who trust our dedication to the core values of our business of free speech and free expression. Globally, to help keep that trust, we comply with News Corp Standards of Business Conduct. These form the foundation stone of our standards and require, among other things, that we treat each other fairly and with respect, our people act in the best interests of the company, we act with integrity and we comply with all applicable laws.
We support organisations and programs that contribute to the health and vitality of the media sector. This commitment includes support of: • The Walkey Awards, which recognise journalistic excellence in Australia; • The PANPA Awards, which recognise journalistic and sales and marketing excellence across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific; • Industry bodies such as The Newspaper Works, which advocate for our sector and people; • Programs that foster creative talent such as Cannes Young Lions and News Foundry.
A big idea merits big results. In the following pages, you’ll find a few highlights illustrating how our strategy comes to life across Australia, through our many mastheads. These stories fall well short of all those that deserve to be included, however, we’re excited to include many more in the years to come.
.com.au
NATIONAL
Toby Bedford blazes a trail for Indigenous youth AIEF aims to provide education in leading schools to 7000 Indigenous Australians In May 2014, Toby gave the Acknowledgement of Country in front of a crowd of Indigenous and business leaders at the launch of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation annual report. The AIEF provides Indigenous students with access to leading schools and universities. The Australian is an enthusiastic supporter of the AIEF. The publication actively promotes the Foundation and devotes considerable editorial space to the issues surrounding Indigenous affairs, with a particular emphasis on Indigenous youth.
Photographer: James Croucher - News Corp Australia
It is universally accepted that education is the biggest barrier preventing Indigenous equality in our country. Giving Indigenous kids access to the best schools in the country is a no-brainer. Andrew Penfold, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Indigenous Education Foundation The Australian, May 11, 2013
A for Innovation
CEO Sleepout
The Australian Innovation Challenge is helping bring Australia’s most innovative ideas to market with a $65,000 prize that rewards innovative thinking.
Nicholas Gray, The Australian’s Chief Executive, bunked down at the Eveleigh Farmers’ Market in Sydney’s Redfern raising $13,155 for the CEO Sleepout, the St Vincent de Paul Society event that seeks to end homelessness.
Photographers (from L to R): Kelly Barnes, Attila Szilvasi - News Corp Australia
NATIONAL
Women in Football FOX SPORTS supported the honouring of women’s participation and involvement in NRL and AFL, helping to raise awareness and donations for women’s charities. Dedicated rounds aim to make women feel proud of their role and contribution to their sport by celebrating and acknowledging the role women play at all levels and areas of football. This year, the NRL and AFL celebrations were held in rounds 10 and 14 respectively. FOX SPORTS was active in raising the event profile with multiple in-broadcast integrations and social media support.
Photographer: Scott Radford-Chisholm - News Corp Australia
Photographers (clockwise from top): John Appleyard, Chris McKeen - News Corp Australia
A simple RUOK? could save a life On average, 2300 Australians die by suicide every year while an astonishing 65,000 people attempt it. Suicide is the biggest killer of Australians aged 15 to 44. But studies have shown that people who have strong relationships in their lives are less likely to commit suicide than those who don’t. That’s why a simple question can be so powerful. Last year FOX SPORTS and Fox Footy threw their support behind RUOK Day by providing broadcast advertising support.
Chipping in for League legends
The inaugural Sporting Legends lunch
FOX SPORTS sponsors the Men of League Foundation and last October donated $5500 to the organisation that helps members of the league community experiencing hardship.
FOX SPORTS auctioned off $50,000 worth of advertising during the inaugural Sporting Legends lunch, with the money raised going to spinal injury research.
• $5500 donated October 2013 • 25,000 passionate supporters
Fox employees Care FOX SPORTS invites new recruits to roll up their sleeves and lend a hand to our workplace giving program, On-Air Care.
NATIONAL
White Shirts win out Now in its second year, the White Shirt Campaign supports the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF). Established by the fashion retailer Witchery, and supported by body+soul, GQ Australia, Sunday Style and Vogue Australia, the White Shirt Campaign raised $1.15 million for ovarian cancer research in 2013. The OCRF is dedicated to funding research into ovarian cancer as well as treatment and support programs. The funds raised through the White Shirt Campaign have helped the OCRF employ three fulltime research scientists and purchase necessary equipment. News Corp Australia has supported the campaign through editorial coverage, advertising, PR and content, and we have helped draw attention to the need for early detection. Eighty per cent of women are already in the advanced stages of the disease when they are diagnosed, so early detection is critical.
Photographer (below): Renee Nowytarger - News Corp Australia
Indigenous designers rule the runway Australian Indigenous Fashion Week (AIFW) is a new addition to the Australian fashion calendar. Launched in 2014 and timed to coincide with Australian Fashion Week, AIFW showcased Indigenous fashion designers and models over the course of one very colourful day in Sydney. The initiative seeks to address the under-representation of Indigenous designers in the local fashion scene and is proudly supported by Vogue Australia. One of the magazine’s stylists was on-hand for the course of the event, helping the designers apply the finishing touches to their shows, and the Vogue social team got the word out to their fashion followers.
There’s nothing ordinary about these everyday women Customising content in a quest for breast cancer cure Last September, News Custom Content worked with the National Breast Cancer Foundation to create the digital-only PINK Magazine in partnership with body+soul. The magazine boasted over 40 pages of engaging video content, animation, image galleries and informative articles.
The Australian Ballet goes bush with Vogue Australia Vogue helps the country’s leading ballet company bring the beauty of dance to children in regional Australia by supporting its touring arm.
The body+soul {extra}ordinary Women Awards are an annual celebration of Australian women who don’t seek the limelight but who perform amazing acts every day.
NEW SOUTH WALES STRONGER COMMUNITIES
Fair Go for the West campaign A joint The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph and NewsLocal initiative, Fair Go for the West revealed the disparities in the distribution of resources across health care, emergency services, roads, jobs and infrastructure across Sydney. Fair Go for the West had its genesis during a meeting between staff from the University of Western Sydney and The Daily Telegraph Editor Paul Whittaker. ‘’By any measure, the West is short changed when it comes to funding, infrastructure spending and transport, medical services and hospitals,” said Whittaker. That meeting last October sowed the seeds for what would become the Fair Go for the West campaign, one of the biggest and most ambitious campaigns of its kind that The Daily Telegraph has ever undertaken, achieving real results for the region. The State Government has begun relocating more than 3000 public sector workers to Western Sydney and is committed to building office towers in Parramatta, Penrith and Liverpool. The Federal Government is to begin work on Sydney’s second airport at Badgerys Creek by 2016, with the State Government coordinating on the associated road and rail infrastructure. A total of 453 more hospital beds will be made available by 2016 and the Blacktown, Campbelltown and Nepean hospitals will receive much needed upgrades. And there’s more, including $20 million for two aged care facilities in Punchbowl and Lakemba and a boost to legal services in Sydney’s West. All told, Fair Go for the West lived up to its name, delivering real breaks to the people and communities of Western Sydney. Photographer: Cameron Richardson - News Corp Australia
$5M raised in total under the Salvation Army Bushfire Appeal
Helping shattered communities rebuild After the Red October bushfires reduced properties across the NSW Blue Mountains to smoldering piles of rubble, The Daily Telegraph launched its Bushfire Appeal. The Appeal was designed to help people from the affected communities begin the rebuilding process after the worst bushfires in 50 years. One dollar from every newspaper sold went directly to the Appeal. All told, The Daily Telegraph, in partnership with the Commonwealth Bank, Crown, Qantas and Network Ten, helped raise over $300,000 for bushfire victims. • $301,824 raised • $5 million raised in total under the Salvation Army Bushfire Appeal • Four high-profile partners
More shade for kids Western Sydney parents and councils backed NewsLocal’s Cover Our Kids campaign which aimed to see shade sails installed in more playgrounds. The Cover Our Kids campaign was in response to an Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health report that found wealthier neighbourhoods were more likely to have shaded playgrounds than less well-to-do areas. Photographers (clockwise from top): Toby Zerna, Chris McKeen, Peter Lorimar, Toby Zerna - News Corp Australia
Aussies chip in to bale out the bush Brian and Donna Ditchfield and their son Tom benefited from the We’re for the Bush Drought Appeal, receiving much needed food and fodder vouchers when they were doing it tough. The Appeal was launched by The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph in partnership with the Commonwealth Bank, 2GB and the NSW Farmers’ Association in February 2013 and came on the heels of over two years of dry weather that had left more than half of New South Wales in drought. • 120 tonnes of hay distributed to affected farmers • $25,000 donation from News Corp Australia • $1.65 million disbursed to affected families
NEW SOUTH WALES EDUCATION FOR ALL
Bringing Diggers’ diaries to life
News Corp Australia has embarked on an ambitious project in partnership with the State Library of NSW. Over 1100 letters, diaries, photos and content from diggers around Australia will be brought to life through innovative digital storytelling techniques and be published under the 100 Years of Untold Stories: ANZAC to Afghanistan initiative. In addition to supporting the publishing of these stories, The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph supported the launch of the State Library of NSW’s Life Interrupted exhibition, which highlights the stories of soldiers, doctors, nurses and journalists at war.
Promoting CPR in schools
Support of sexual assault victims
Future Leaders
The Daily Telegraph campaigned on the need for CPR and first aid to be taught in Australian schools, with the backing of Royal Life Saving Australia and St John Ambulance, against a backdrop of record near-drownings over summer.
The Daily Telegraph’s campaign to have the rape support system overhauled in favour of victims was endorsed by the NSW Rape Crisis Centre.
Future Leaders was a 32-page supplement that NewsLocal produced to examine future trends in education across primary, secondary and tertiary education. The publication included columns by various experts advising on topics such as how to choose the right school for your child.
The campaign for rape law reform resulted in the Attorney-General ensuring that barristers had to act with more consideration towards the victims of rape in the courtroom and some had to undergo training before appearing in sexual assault trials.
NEW SOUTH WALES HEALTHY NATION
Telegraph teams up with Telethon The We’re for the Kids campaign raised in excess of $500,000 for the Royal Sydney Children’s Hospital Telethon. The Sunday Telegraph teamed up with Channel Nine, Coles and Crown Resorts to make it happen. One dollar from every The Sunday Telegraph sold on Sunday, June 8 was donated to the Appeal in what was a deeply moving campaign, according to News Corp Australia’s State Director Brett Clegg. “Personally, this has been one of the most rewarding efforts I have been involved with as a publisher. The journalism has been raw and heartfelt, the response from readers and the staff at Randwick has been profound and uplifting, and the knowledge that we have been a good corporate citizen by giving back to our community is really special,” he said.
Photographer: John Appleyard - News Corp Australia
Junior Sports Star The NewsLocal Junior Sports Star Awards program, sponsored by Rebel, recognises and celebrates junior sporting talent. Now in its 10th year, the Junior Sports Star Awards bring the endeavours and successes of these future champions to the attention of their local area, giving the community the opportunity to embrace and support their sports stars of the future.
Injured NRL star hopes to walk again Knights player, Alex McKinnon, is hoping to defy the odds and walk again. The footballer suffered a broken neck during the Knights’ match up against the Melbourne Storm on March 24. Round 19 of the NRL competition saw The Daily Telegraph and the NRL come together on behalf of the injured Knights player. Speaking at the launch of the campaign, The Daily Telegraph Editor Paul Whittaker said, “Alex’s inspirational story has moved the whole league community and our readers across NSW.” The Daily Telegraph donated $1 from every Saturday paper sold to the fund while the NRL pledged to donate $1 from every round 19 ticket sold. All told, more than $1,000,000 was raised to help McKinnon on the long road to recovery.
No Jab No Play An alarming set of statistics sparked a The Sunday Telegraph campaign to get Sydney’s child vaccination rates up to where they belong. Sydney is home to an estimated 77,000 children not fully immunised, as anti-vaccination advocates and plain forgetfulness have seen vaccination rates drop as low as 85 per cent in some areas. The campaign resulted in changes to the Public Health Act to protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases. Photographers (clockwise from top): Philip Hillyard, John Appleyard, Craig Wilson - News Corp Australia
NORTHERN TERRITORY
The Santa Claus Cause More than one thousand Santas took to the streets of Darwin last November in the NT News Variety Santa Fun Run raising over $30,000 for sick and disadvantaged kids and their families. The Darwin Waterfront precinct was a sea of red as the Santas took to the 2km course and then enjoyed breakfast, family activities and the nearby Wave Pool after the event. NT News supported the fantastic event with advertising and editorial.
Photographer: Katrina Bridgeford - News Corp Australia
Championing champions up north NT News, the Centralian Advocate and Sunday Territorian all backed the Pride of Australia campaign, devoting pages and pixels to covering some of the Territory’s most inspiring individuals.
Speak up and stop suicide
Redtails Right Tracks program
The Northern Territory suicide rate for 15-to-24-year-olds is 3.5 times the national average. That’s why NT News launched Speak Up, a multi-platform campaign designed to shine a light on the issue. Speak Up seeks to encourage those teetering on the edge of suicide to reconsider their options by profiling those who have been affected directly. Mothers, partners, people suffering from depression, have all spoken out and shared their deeply personal and often tragic stories with one goal in mind — preventing another senseless death in the Northern Territory.
The Centralian Advocate has championed the Redtails Right Tracks program which uses AFL as a conduit to attract and engage 18-25-year-old Indigenous men. The learning program focuses on helping these men develop important work, life and social skills.
Photographers (clockwise from top): Justin Brierty, Justin Sanson, Daniel Hartley - News Corp Australia
QUEENSLAND STRONGER COMMUNITIES
FNQ township honours Afghanistan vets Yungaburra’s Avenue of Honour is dedicated to the Australians who served in Afghanistan in the fight against terror. The Avenue memorialises the final journey home of our fallen soldiers and has become a treasured site for the families and friends of the deceased. Through editorial and marketing support, Queensland’s network of newspapers played a key role in rallying the local community behind the construction of the memorial through editorial and marketing support. Our efforts also helped the memorial’s builders raise much needed funds for its construction.
Besides it being a place where you can think about your mates and what they did, it’s also a place where the community acknowledges what you’ve done. Corporal Oliver “Chook” Fowler, The Cairns Post, 25 April, 2014
Photographer: Brendan Radke - News Corp Australia
Death of triathlete sparks road safety push Brett Roneberg’s sister, Tanya Roneberg, died after she was hit by a car on the Captain Cook Highway in May 2013. The 37-year-old’s death led to a road safety campaign that resulted in new legislation being trialed in the sunshine state. •T wo-year trial for 1m passing rule
60insix The Cairns Post helped 59 people find work over a six-week period in 2013, just one shy of our target. • 505 employers contacted
Think Tank project The Gold Coast Bulletin’s new Think Tank column — penned by Walkley winner, Kathleen Skene — is setting the agenda for change in the resurgent surfer and sun-lover’s paradise. Photographers (from top): Stewart McLean, Regi Varghese - News Corp Australia
QUEENSLAND EDUCATION FOR ALL
Headst@rt Newspapers in Education The Courier-Mail and The Sunday Mail support the Newspapers in Education initiative, producing special Headst@rt kits available to registered teachers who introduce kids to the joys of newspapers and aid teachers with engaging educational activities. In conjunction with the Headst@art initiative, The Courier-Mail has a long history of commitment to young Queenslanders with education initiatives presented at the Royal Queensland Show focused on hands-on learning. Since 2013, The Courier-Mail Learning Fun Pavilion has hosted over 120 performances over the 10-day show, with performances dedicated to everything from farm food produce to eco-marine biology.
Photographer: Darren England - News Corp Australia
Creativity stimulates young minds Did you know arts education impacts overall academic achievement? It’s true and it’s why The Courier-Mail supports Creative Generation - State Schools Onstage, an annual extravaganza showcasing the state’s most talented performing arts students.
Queensland bookworms have their say in The Courier-Mail People’s Choice Kate Morton is on a winning streak. Her first three novels all won the Australian Book Industry award for General Fiction Book of The Year and, in 2013, the Brisbane author took home The Courier-Mail People’s Choice Award for The Secret Keeper. In 2012, the Queensland local writing community established the Queensland Literary Awards. The Courier-Mail got involved and launched the People’s Choice Award the same year.
Townsville students have their say Townsville’s youth want to be heard and the Townsville Bulletin’s Youth In Print liftout serves as a perfect forum for them to educate and debate. The Townsville Bulletin welcomes submissions from the region’s youth and last year the liftout featured numerous standout articles. Georgie Juszczyk won the Senior Reporter of the Year award for her article about an Indigenous writer who promotes literacy in schools. Imogen Goldsworthy won the Junior award for her article on a leadership camp at Lavarack Barracks.
Photographers (from top): Annette Dew, Richard Waugh, Bryan Lynch - News Corp Australia
QUEENSLAND HEALTHY NATION
Racing crabs for sick kids • $37,500 raised at the Gambaro Mud Crab Races • 500 people attended fundraiser • $250,000 raised at the races over past ten years
Well-known Brisbane businessmen John and Donny Gambaro have supported The Courier-Mail Children’s Fund for over ten years. This year, the 11th annual Mud Crab Cup at Gambaro’s Seafood Restaurant in Brisbane’s Paddington raised more than $37,500 for the charity with the Gambaros kicking in another $42,000 on top. Originally known as Santa’s Toy Sack, The Courier-Mail Children’s Fund has been supporting sick and disadvantaged kids throughout Queensland for more than 100 years. The annual Gambaro Mud Crab Races have been an important fundraiser for the charity with $250,000 raised over the past ten years. This year, proceeds raised went to Asperger’s Services, Mummy’s Wish and Spina Bifida Queensland.
Photographer: Sarah Marshall - News Corp Australia
Fun run comes of age The Sunday Mail Suncorp Bank Bridge-To-Brisbane was held on Sunday, September 7, 2014. The event is a wholly Queensland Newspapers owned and managed event and is proudly supported by Suncorp Bank, Medibank, Brooks, The Athlete’s Foot, Flight Centre, Triple M, Channel Nine and the Queensland Government.
IGA Charity Race Day The Cairns Post partnered with IGA stores across far north Queensland and raised over $60,000 for leukaemia at the annual Charity Race Day at Canon Park Racecourse.
The Bridge-to-Brisbane is a fun run that encourages participants to raise money for their own elected charity through hero pages created by participants to encourage sponsorship from family and friends. This year’s event took place on Father’s Day, and was a great way for families to get involved in healthy activity together. Since it’s inception in 1997 the event has raised over $6.1 million for charity.
Photographers (clockwise from top): Brendan Radke, Zak Simmonds, Mark Cranitch - News Corp Australia
Run Townsville Two thousand eight hundred runners raised over $200,000 for the Townsville Hospital Children’s Ward in the Townsville Bulletin supported Run Townsville event held in June.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
I Murray South Australians win in Murray stoush • 1457 signatories to online I Love Murray petition • 3200 billion litres to be returned to river
In 2012, The Advertiser launched the I Love Murray campaign aimed at securing desperately needed river reform. For years, there had been no clear conservation plan for the Murray Darling — a situation The Advertiser wanted to remedy.
The Advertiser, together with our digital masthead adelaidenow.com.au, was instrumental in drawing the attention of South Australians to the crisis. We published numerous stories on the issue and rallied the state behind the Murray.
The I Love Murray campaign drew attention to the Murray Basin crisis and called on South Australians to get involved. An online petition urged political leaders to save the river and a I Love Murray rally at Canberra’s Parliament House attended by Prime Minister Julia Gillard and more than 30 federal MPs received widespread media coverage.
I Love Murray truly united South Australians behind securing a better deal for the Murray. As the expiration date for the disallowance period neared, the three men who had become the public faces of the campaign — fisherman Henry Jones, irrigator David Peake and environmentalist Don Henry — posed for a stirring photograph with almost 100 primary school children who formed a heart shape on the sand at the mouth of the mighty Murray.
Photographer: Matt Turner - News Corp Australia
Advertiser Foundation In 2014, the Adelaide Foundation raised over $60,000 to purchase and distribute over 2000 blankets to the needy of South Australia. Every year The Advertiser and Sunday Mail supports those people in the community less fortunate through The Advertiser Foundation (formerly The Advertiser Sunday Mail Foundation) which was established by Mr Peter Wylie, then Managing Director of Advertiser Newspapers in 1993. The Advertiser Sunday Mail Foundation Incorporated was set up to support South Australian registered charities that do not have access to professional fundraisers or corporate patronage. Over 21 years, in excess of $5 million has been raised and distributed to over 157 South Australian charities. Some of the very worthy charities the foundation has assisted include; Cora Barclay Centre for Children with Hearing Impairment Inc, Alzheimer’s Association SA Inc, Epilepsy Association of SA Inc and St Patrick’s Special School, to name a few.
Sunday Mail City-Bay Run The Advertiser has been the principal naming sponsor of the Sunday Mail City-Bay Fun Run since 1992. Now in its 42nd year, Adelaide’s signature fun run offers participants an enjoyable way to get fit and raise proceeds for charity. In 2013, a record 40,512 participants made their way from the City of Adelaide to Glenelg and raised almost half a million dollars for over 200 charities in the process.
Tunes for tiny tots and meals for mums Adelaide Mums hoped to secure a $1000 Messenger Community Grant to purchase new musical instruments for their toddler music group. The Adelaide Mums were just one of hundreds of community groups competing for a share of the $12,000 grant fund. Hopefuls, including Women Who Have Been There, a group that supports the parents of children in the Flinders Medical Centre Neonatal Unit, demonstrated how their project would directly benefit a community served by a Messenger newspaper. • $12,000 grant pool
Photographers (clockwise from top): Bianca De Marchi, Noelle Bobrige, Dean Martin - News Corp Australia
TASMANIA
Five thousand Tasmanian people have taken a stand and said ‘we will not tolerate bullying any more.’ Cassie Whitehill, Mercury, 21 November, 2013
Chloe’s Law The Chloe’s Law campaign against bullying garnered a remarkable community response, culminating in a 50,000 strong petition to the Federal Government calling for changes to cyber bullying laws. Started as a local Facebook page following the tragic death of Hobart student Chloe Ferguson last year, it grew into a strong campaign which captured the hearts and minds of the Tasmanian community and, from there, the rest of the nation. The campaign, supported by the Mercury, included a “Say No to Bullying Day’’ and widespread events across Tasmania. The driving force has been Chloe’s sister, Cassie Whitehill, who wants to make sure bullying is covered by appropriate legislation in every Australian state and territory.
Photographer: Kim Eiszele - News Corp Australia
Photographers: (clockwise from top): Sam Rosewarne, Kim Eiszele, Sam Rosewarne - News Corp Australia
Tasmania turn out in force for fun run The second-biggest ever field in City to Casino history took to the streets of Hobart in May on a day defined by fitness and fun. Run under blue skies, 3967 competitors took part in the Mercurybacked event. Race Director, Haydyn Nielsen, said the state’s biggest fun run offers something for everyone with 11km and 7km events and a special 2.7km event for kids. But, the morning after the event, he conceded that it could be even bigger, in an interview with the Mercury. Encouraging people to get outside and exercising is something that the Mercury is passionate about. In support of this year’s run, we published a special 10-week training program that walked would-be runners through the preparation required to successfully complete the 11km or 7km events. And we provided editorial support that included features on competitors and published the full results from the event.
Sharing the joys of newspapers with curious kids The Newspapers in Education (NIE) initiative is all about enhancing school children’s education experiences through newspapers. As newspaper people through and through, the Mercury staff enthusiastically supports Newspapers in Education. Recently, the Mercury was involved in the running of the highly popular School Pages campaign. School Pages involved students putting together their own page for a weekday issue of the Mercury. Some students wrote the news items, others were ‘commissioned’ to take the photos while the more entrepreneurial students were charged with selling advertising space and marketing their page of the paper within the community. Our education services section works with schools from the first term of the school year to make the School Pages program happen, with the filed pages published over the course of the school year. And it’s not just a hit with the kids. Journalist and NIE Coordinator Damian Bester is a big fan of the program, which he describes as “a realistic introduction to the business of newspapers.”
Indigenous role models Six-year-old Evangeline Palmese, pictured with Aboriginal educator Leanne Pelikan, learned how to make a traditional kelp water carrier at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery during the Mercury supported NAIDOC week.
School Pages is just one of the programs the Mercury has run under the NIE banner. Maths in Footy was another successful campaign where we produced resource kits for schools that used football as a way to engage students in maths problems. And we have more planned. As far as we’re concerned, the more kids we get reading newspapers the better.
VICTORIA STRONGER COMMUNITIES
Putting food on the tables of Melbourne’s neediest families Every year Victorians throw out 700,000 tonnes of perfectly good food. The Feed Melbourne Appeal was set up to address this waste, recover food destined for the bin and redistribute it to where it’s needed most. News Corp Australia has supported the Feed Melbourne Appeal, a joint initiative of Leader Community Newspapers, FareShare and the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, from the beginning. Each year, Leader newspapers actively promote the initiative with editorial coverage and advertising. Recently, our promotional efforts benefited from some rock star firepower with Bruce Springsteen agreeing to plug the Appeal at his Melbourne concerts in 2013 and 2014. The Appeal brings people together to help their fellow Melbournians in need. The Appeal has raised $2,403,000 in six years. This has been distributed to more than 125 food charities. • All 33 Leader mastheads supporting • Provided four million charity meals over six years • Almost $2.5 million raised over five years
The Feed Melbourne Appeal has raised enough money in six years to provide more than four million charity meals for people doing it tough. It’s inspiring to know that an idea that began in a single Leader newspaper has grown to meet a real community need and help so many people. John Trevorrow, Leader Community Newspapers Editor-In-Chief
The Weekly Times Farmer of the Year Each year The Weekly Times searches across Australia for farmers who constantly strive to improve their business, find success in their efforts and are leading the way in their industry. Throughout the campaign The Weekly Times, weeklytimesnow.com.au and FARM magazine feature great stories of farmers excelling in their field, from industry stalwarts to new players starting their agricultural journey.
Matching winning community ideas with micro grants in Victoria Musicians at Rosanna Golf Links Primary School are about to throw out the rules and get their swing on after they were made a Leader Local Grant finalist. Leader Local grants gave away $33,000 in micro grants to help bring small, but important, community projects to life. •$ 33,000 grant fund
Geelong residents adopt local families for Christmas The Geelong Advertiser’s Adopt a Family Appeal is hoping the Geelong community will continue to dig deep for families in need of traditional Christmas cheer. The Appeal aims to bring Christmas to those who might otherwise go without. Pro Build workers at the Warun Shopping centre raised funds for the Appeal.
The AFL celebrates diversity Photographers (from top): Kris Reichl, Chris Kidd, Josie Hayden, Jay Town - News Corp Australia Photographer: Andrew Henshaw - News Corp Australia
The Herald Sun and Herald Sun Sunday support the AFL’s Indigenous Round. Held in round 11 of the 2014 competition, the Indigenous Round celebrates Indigenous players and the diversity of the code.
VICTORIA EDUCATION FOR ALL Ready, steady, read The Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge is now in its 10th year and has played an important role in developing a love of books among young readers. Supported by the Herald Sun, children of all ages, from babies to students in year 10, are encouraged to participate in the challenge, choosing to read a set number of books from the extensive list of over 9000 and keep a record of them online. Last year, more than four million books were read by participants with an ever-growing support group of parents, schools, teachers and classmates. Parents are encouraged to read books with their children from a young age. Taking turns and reading aloud every day will boost their confidence and assist them with their learning later in life, according to a University of Melbourne study.
Photographer: Tony Gough - News Corp Australia
Helping Victoria avoid another Black Saturday
Herald Sun Aria Celebrates 90th Anniversary
Fostering classical music success in Geelong
All Victorian mastheads supported the Fire Action Week awareness campaign. Fire Action Week is an important initiative that helps residents in fire-prone areas to prepare for the worst.
Founded in 1924, this year the Herald Sun Aria celebrates its 90th anniversary as Australia’s most prestigious competition for emerging opera singers.
The Geelong Advertiser Music Scholarship was established to foster musical talent and an appreciation for classical music in the region.
Photographers: (L to R): Glenn Daniels, Rob Leeson, Glenn Ferguson - News Corp Australia
VICTORIA HEALTHY NATION
Victorians turned out in force to support the Good Friday Appeal In 1931 when a group of sportsmen and journalists from The Herald & Weekly Times publication, Sporting Globe, organised a sports carnival in aid of the Royal Children’s Hospital they could never have foreseen what their act of charity would mean to Victoria. More than 80 years later, the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal has become not just a tradition, but an allyear round institution driven solely by the community and encompassing the entire state. News Corp Australia staff from all Victorian publications continue to volunteer their time, hold fundraisers and donate to the Appeal which to date has raised more than $258 million, saving countless young lives. This year alone, the Appeal raised over $16 million. And it’s not just the Royal Children’s Hospital which has benefited, with funds also being distributed to the likes of The University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, saving the lives of and preventing illness in even more children.
Photographer: Jay Town - News Corp Australia
Helping new Mums in Melbourne
Cots for Tots is a St Kilda based not-for-profit organisation that helps ease the financial burden of having a baby for mums and families experiencing hardship. The organisation recycles pre-loved babies’ and children’s gear and redistributes it to families in Melbourne and surrounding areas. The Caulfield Glen Eira/Port Phillip Leader and Bayside Leader newspapers helped Cots for Tots by publishing editorial content on the organisation and driving donations from Melbourne businesses. In 2014, the Leader Community Newspapers’ campaign helped secure 200 cots for Melbourne families in need.
The Herald Sun Takes a Stand
Run for the Kids
In a no-holds-barred interview with the Herald Sun, Victoria’s Chief Commissioner Ken Lay called on Victorian men to take a public stand on domestic violence, noting the absence of high profile advocates.
A record 35,160 runners raised $2 million for the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal when they took to the streets in this year’s Herald Sun/CityLink Run for the Kids.
As the driving force behind Take A Stand, the Herald Sun helped shift attitudes towards domestic violence in Victoria. In addition to the paper’s uncompromising interview with Ken Lay, the Herald Sun campaigned heavily on the scourge of domestic violence. The paper also revealed that elements of the current system, such as intervention orders, are not always effective when it comes to protecting women. The Take A Stand campaign got Victorians talking about domestic violence. The Herald Sun’s powerful advocacy shone a light on the darkness of domestic and family violence forcing readers to confront a very serious issue that is all too often ignored, rationalised and even trivialised.
Photographers: (clockwise from top): Mark Dadswell, David Caird, Chris Scott - News Corp Australia
With 60 per cent of all entry fees going to the Good Friday Appeal, Run for Kids offers race participants a distinct way to have fun while making a difference to Australia’s most sick and vulnerable children. Since 2006, an incredible $11.9 million has been raised in event proceeds for the Royal Children’s Hospital, ensuring access to life changing projects, research and technological innovations.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA Times staff man Telethon lines 120
staff manned the phones
12
years of support
$20.7m
raised in 2013
The Sunday Times has been an enthusiastic supporter of the Telethon for over 12 years. Last year the paper once again threw open its doors and got behind one of the world’s biggest fundraisers. Marketing Director Charlene D’Monte and the paper’s staff converted the advertising department into a call centre where 1400 volunteers took thousands of donations over the weekend. The Telethon raises much-needed funds for medical and social support for WA kids. Since the first Appeal back in 1968, Telethon has raised in excess of $154 million. The proceeds have gone to numerous charitable organisations, children’s hospitals and medical research facilities in Western Australia.
Telethon is the biggest community event in Western Australia, so this aligns us with an amazing community fundraiser. Charlene D’Monte
Obesity the next smoking says WA Minister
Protecting Fly In Fly Out workers
The Sunday Times spares Serpentine River
Western Australia’s Health Minister Kim Hames told The Sunday Times in March that obesity was the biggest public health challenge since smoking. The former GP was speaking in support of our Get Active Get Healthy campaign.
The Sunday Times has campaigned for an inquiry into the suicide of fly in fly out (FIFO) workers in WA after nine workers committed suicide in 12 months. Telling the difficult stories of these workers with the aim to raise awareness, encourage discussion and find solutions before more lives are lost. Success of this campaign came in the form of an inquiry launched by WA parliament.
In February 2014, The Sunday Times revealed that contaminated leachate had been draining into the Serpentine River from an Oakford composting site operated by Bio-Organics. The newspaper’s stories helped draw attention to the “extreme eutrophication” of the Peel-Harvey estuary and the effects of the pollution on local residents. Ultimately, the facility was shut down when The Department of Environment Regulation revoked the licence of the Oakford-based composting facility in what was a great outcome for residents and the environment.
The campaign is designed to address the child obesity epidemic by promoting healthy eating and exercise. The issue, while relevant nationwide, is particularly relevant to Western Australians. Research from the Heart Foundation shows that WA is the second–fattest state in the country, with over 65 per cent of adults overweight or obese. News Corp Australia supports the campaign with editorial coverage and PR. The Sunday Times interview with the WA Health Minister was one of many articles dedicated to the campaign. We also promoted the campaign through a Get Active Get Healthy content hub on perthnow.com.au that featured healthy eating and exercise tips.
Photographer: Sean Middleton - News Corp Australia
WE’RE JUST GETTING STARTED
This report has captured some of the ways we work to inform, advocate and inspire to help build a better Australia. Through our publications and across our corporate programs, we aim to build stronger communities, a healthier nation and ensure better education opportunities for all Australians. We’d love to hear what you think about our programs. If you have any feedback on this report please email: newsinthecommunity@news.com.au
www.newscorpaustralia.com