The Local & Independent News Association (LINA) has announced the return of its national fundraising initiative, Our News. Your Voice., boosting the revenue of local and nearby news outlets including New England Times, Glen Innes News, Coonamble Times and the Lismore App.
Running from Monday April 28 to Sunday May 4, the week-long campaign unites 52 local and independent digital newsrooms across Australia in a collective effort to secure vital community support for grassroots journalism.
LINA is a not-for-profit industry association supporting a movement of local and independent digital news publishers in Australia. New England Times, as one of the larger members of LINA, has strongly encouraged new organisations in our region like Moree Online News and Glen Innes News to join the organisation and benefit from the resources and support.
“After being near enough to a news desert for so long, it is wonderful to see the revival in local news across the New England,” New England Times publisher RK Crosby said.
“New Englanders deserve quality local news and it’s great to see so many organisations jumping in to the enormous gap created by big companies like ACM and Super Radio Network effectively abandoning most of our communities, expecting us to be happy with networked content from Canberra or Newcastle.”
“Whether it’s new mastheads like ours, or the revival of old mastheads like the Manilla Express, all of it makes me smile – but I know all of us are facing the same challenges too – it’s a tough business.”
Following the success of the 2024 campaign, which raised $184,000 for 32 newsrooms through 941 individual donations and matched funds, LINA is again inviting Australians to contribute directly to their local news outlets via unique donation pages. Thanks to generous philanthropic support, the first $10,000 raised will be doubled by matched funding, amplifying the impact of each contribution.
LINA Executive Director Claire Stuchbery describes these newsrooms as the “green shoots” of an industry in crisis.
“The news industry has been struggling through a period of transition for years now and we’re starting to see independent newsrooms emerge to fill gaps in information for local communities, along with print news services expanding their distribution channels to meet audience demand in digital spaces,” Claire said.
“Many of these news services were started by community-minded individuals who identified ‘news deserts’ in their local areas, which were lacking timely, verified information during emergencies, accountability from local authorities, and a record of events to bring the community together. They reflect the communities we live in.”
LINA’s membership has grown to include newsrooms in all states and territories across Australia, publishing public interest journalism and meeting high editorial standards for fairness, independence and accountability and other requirements of professional news outlets.
Developing sustainable news business models online requires investment and innovation, which is difficult for newsrooms already pushed to the limits trying to produce quality, public interest journalism in a rapid news cycle.
“Providing quality journalism is a public service—every community needs a news service, just as it needs doctors, teachers and firefighters. But it can be difficult to get people to pay for this,” Claire said.
“It’s great to see these independent newsrooms band together for this campaign, just as they themselves bring their communities together in an increasingly polarised society.”
Crosby agreed, saying bringing the community together is exactly what New England Times is about.
“So often press releases intended to enrage or split people apart are just republished without scrutiny or review, which just damages the intricate fabric of our communities.”
“Great journalists are often the front line of holding our community together, by taking that information and putting it in context, balancing perspectives, and filtering out the absurd claims that are published far too often.”
“But someone has to pay great journalists so they can do their work, so we all need the support of the communities we serve,” she said.
“Whether its by way of advertising or donating through appeals like the ‘Our News. Your Voice.’ initiative, you are in control of ensuring local news for the New England is here to stay.”
Find out more about the ‘Our News. Your Voice.’ campaign here. To support New England Times, just click the orange heart at the bottom left of the screen.
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