Regional journalism will benefit under a range of new Coalition Government measures to support small publishers and create local jobs, says Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor.

The measures, which are in addition to the Government’s media reform package include:

• A $50 million Regional and Small Publishers Innovation fund;
• A Regional and Small Publishers cadetship program to support 200 cadetships ($8 million) and;
• 60 regional journalism scholarships ($2.4 million over three years)

Mr Taylor said assisting small publishers and regional newspapers to innovate in the digital media environment would go a long way to maintaining these organisations and create more local jobs

“Newspapers like the Goulburn Post, Crookwell Gazette, Boorowa News, Wollondilly and Camden Advertisers, The District Reporter in Camden and others play a vital role in Hume,” Mr Taylor said.

“It’s important we do all we can to sustain them, to ensure they keep advocating for their communities, and informing and entertaining their readers.”

The Government’s media reform package has the unanimous support of the industry. It will do away with the so-called two-out-of-three rule and the 75 per cent reach rule, allowing media proprietors to own print, radio and television outlets in one market for the first time.

“It will give Australian media organisations the opportunity to reconfigure their businesses and compete with online platforms such as Google and Facebook,” Mr Taylor said.

“The reach rule is antiquated because online streaming now means ‘reach’ could in fact be up to 100 per cent of the national audience, and this is especially relevant now as the nbn has made it possible for more Australians to access fast broadband.

“It made the positions of the regional networks even more vulnerable, because they are buying expensive content from the metro networks who can now go around them on the internet.

“The reforms are vital for the future viability of Australian media organisations and local jobs. It will unshackle the industry by freeing it from laws and regulations, which date back to the 1980s before the internet existed.”

The $50 million Regional and Small Publishers Innovation fund could allocate grants to programs and initiatives such as the purchasing or upgrading of equipment and software, training, development of apps and business activities to drive revenue and readership, all of which would help small publishers to expand their businesses and create more jobs.

Funding grants will be capped at a maximum of $1 million per year for any media group.

At least two thirds of funding must go to regional publishers and not less than 25 per cent for non-regional publishers.