The not-for-profit organisation, the Local & Independent News Association (LINA), has kicked off a national fundraising campaign ahead of the election.
‘Our News. Your Voice.’ is running from 28 April to 4 May and pulls together 50 local and independent digital news rooms across a week-long campaign to gain support for grassroots, community journalism.
LINA's mission is to “increase the diversity, quality and relevance of news services in communities across Australia” and providing newsrooms with the support to do so is vital.
The 2024 campaign raised $184,000 for 32 newsrooms through 941 individual donations and matched funds, and this year the first $10,000 raised will be matched, doubling the funding.
“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,” said LINA Executive Director Claire Stuchbery.
“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."
“As we head to the polls this week, I’m reminded once again of how important independent news is to counter misinformation and support people to make informed voting decisions.”
