Regional News Report, competing online, and protecting unique and diverse local news
Chrisanthi Giotis, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Media Transition
They are two of the great local news puzzles of our time when it comes to local news, and both were in the spotlight over the past fortnight.
1) How does local news compete online?; and 2) If it’s a case of consolidate, cooperate or perish, what happens to the unique identity of local news that keeps consumers loyal?
Competition online is a vexed question. As pointed out in the CMT Regional Report, launched last week at the Mumbrella Publish conference, research from overseas consistently shows local doesn’t do well online, where the natural advantage of a bounded community disappears. There is no easy answer here but the announcement that Facebook is expanding its local news accelerator program to Australia is a welcome one.
Also welcome is the debate on how best to serve regional audiences. This kicked off again when Antony Catalano - the successful bidder who took 171 regional and community titles off the hands of the company formerly known as Fairfax - took to the media stage this week. He signalled his intention to create a consolidated cross-platform regional brand and had clear and controversial proposals for government. These included removing television licence fees and discarding the television one-to-a-market rule that means a business cannot control multiple television licences in one area.
CMT Co-Director Derek Wilding highlights that the latter point in particular would have serious repercussions for the structure of Australian media and the principle of quality through diversity. The broadcasting rules allow some exceptions in small markets but: “the one licence cap for commercial TV in metro and larger regional areas is really the foundation of structural diversity in Australia”.
“After the removal of cross-media and national reach rules, the one licence cap ensures there are at least three commercial media groups serving a large part of the Australian population. Public policy must recognise and respond to challenges facing regional Australia, but it shouldn’t be designed to serve specific commercial interests."