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The Moorabool News – 21 December, 2021 Page 3
Local papers “essential” Conducted in July and August this year, a survey has found that a majority of non-local newspaper readers still believe the papers are “an essential service for the community”. Conducted as part of ‘The Local News Innovation Project’ – a partnership between Deakin, RMIT, Country Press Australia (CPA), and the Australian Government – the survey asked 407 Facebook users in four areas their thoughts on local newspapers. ‘Exploring the social – A report on Facebook users who don’t read local newspapers’ was published on Tuesday 14 December, and revealed a number of interesting statistics. Despite not being local newspaper readers, 64.5 per cent of respondents said they found a printed local paper an essential service, with almost half (48 per cent) saying if they ever did read a local paper, they would do so in print, rather than online (33 per cent) or on social media (13 per cent). Participants also showed resistance to the idea of paying for local news, with 64.5 per cent not paying for any news and information, but said they would engage if it was free. “News should be free to read, and newspapers should make their profit from advertisements,” a 50-year-old female survey participant said. “[Don’t] disappear behind a paywall. I can only access headlines. I refuse to pay for news that I used to have free access to,” a 63-yearold female from Victoria said. A strong sentiment for media diversity was also observed in the findings, with 73 per cent of respondents favouring locally owned newspapers profiting from local news production, versus 14 per cent preferring “no profit”, 7 per cent “Facebook and Google” and 6 per cent “national and international news companies”. Deakin University Associate Professor Kristy Hess is leading the research, and said the findings reinforced the passion for print uncovered from a previous survey of local newspaper readers. "The fact that social media users examined here (in the latest survey) also indicate a preference for print is perhaps especially profound,” Dr Hess said.
Premier Daniel Andrews said in 2019, ‘Local papers are the lifeblood of local communities’ - Helen Tatchell "Many participants highlighted that the absence of a home-delivery service or easy way to access the paper created an impediment to accessing the physical copy. They also indicated that they resisted paying for local news and would engage if it were free. "This resonates with findings from our first survey of newspaper readers – that is, the existence of a culture of 'free' where people believe local news content should be readily available without cost to audiences." CPA Executive Director, Bruce Morgan, said he was unsurprised by the results, which he believes reinforce regional communities’ feelings about news. "It is not just about the survival of local independent (newspaper) businesses, but that it is fundamental to community wellbeing, and to basic democratic notions of accountability within those communities," Mr Morgan said. "Issues around accessibility and cost are also not surprising and reflect swings in community expectation in recent generations. Most independent publishers are adapting to that, having learned from the mistakes of the big corporate players who are now deserting the regions.” The three-year project has been funded by the Australian Research Council, with almost 8 million people – close to 30 per cent of Australia’s population – living outside major cities in rural and regional areas. Dr Hess said that the voices of everyday people, like those in the surveys, are often missing in policy discussion about local media’s future. A copy of the survey report can be found at www.localnewsinnovation.org.a
Moorabool News journalist Lachlan Ellis catches up on the printed version of the local publication. Photo – Helen Tatchell
LOCAL EDITOR RESPONDS The Moorabool News Editor Helen Tatchell said the survey revealed no surprises and was pleased with the message that came from it. “Keeping communities connected is the whole purpose of any free local independent news publication, and I have been championing these sentiments for years,” she said. Premier Daniel Andrews relayed an important message at the Victorian Country Press Association annual conference in 2019. “He said to our members that ‘Local papers are the lifeblood of local communities’, and during covid we were advised that regional newspapers are considered to be essential services,” Ms Tatchell said. Whilst social media has become another platform of news and information, Ms Tatchell said you must remain cautious of what you read on the internet. “There are quite a few online news platforms now, but you have to ask, “who are
they?” You cannot rely on the news you read online to be factual and credible,” she said. “COVID certainly knocked the industry around, especially for the free publications who rely on paid advertising revenue to produce and distribute out to households. “I am pleased this survey reinforces the message to support local, shop local. To lose your local newspaper would be disastrous for any community, and there were many shut down by the major players before COVID even took a strong hold, some were daily publications. “The Moorabool News will not be going down the path of a paywall as our purpose is to ensure the good people of Moorabool are informed, engaged, on all matters pertaining to the Moorabool area, for free.” The Moorabool News is available in print weekly, every Tuesday, online via www.themooraboolnews.com.au and Facebook.
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