The News Media Assistance Program (News MAP) is a program of work that aims to establish a robust evidence base and clear principles to guide policies that support public interest journalism and safeguard media diversity.
The News MAP will guide decisions around when government intervention is warranted, how it should be applied, and where it should be targeted.
News MAP consists of 2 parts:
- a principles-based policy framework to guide future government interventions for news and journalism across 4 key outcomes: access, diversity, quality and engagement
- an evidence base that will inform when and where interventions are warranted, as well as their design, implementation and evaluation.
What has been done so far?
The Australian Government has provided $4 million for initiatives that help build an evidence base on the state of the news sector.
As of October 2024, funding has been allocated to the following initiatives:
- $900,000 in 2023 and an additional $800,000 in 2024 for the Public Interest Journalism Initiative (PIJI) to maintain and enhance its Australian News Data Project.
- $1.5 million for the Local and Independent News Association (LINA) to support its efforts to build the capacity of small, hyperlocal news businesses; provide advisory services to businesses; and collect data on the state of local and hyperlocal news.
How can you contribute?
Public consultation for News MAP occurred between December 2023 and February 2024. The Department received a total of 71 short comments and submissions from interested stakeholders across news media, academia and the wider community.
Please visit the News MAP Have Your Say webpage to view public submissions and for more information.