May 4, 2026
Independent digital news publishers are uniting for a week-long crowdfunding initiative, calling on communities across Australia to support the future of public interest journalism.
The Local & Independent News Association’s (LINA) annual Our News, Your Voice campaign will run until Friday and coincides with World Press Freedom Day.
LINA executive director Claire Stuchbery said the 40-plus participating newsrooms aim to build on the previous success of the annual campaign, which has brought donations to independent newsrooms over two years.
“Public interest journalism creates informed voters, covering governments at all levels, holding power to account, and bringing communities together by sharing and recording our common threads and diverse voices,” Ms Stuchbery said.
“Audiences often expect to access news content for free, but news isn’t free to produce. In fact, the strongest public interest journalism and investigative reporting tends to be the most costly, involving extensive investment of time and resources by news publications.
“Due to the global collapse of traditional business models for newsrooms, publishers can’t shoulder this cost alone. They are essential services and need support from the communities they serve to produce high quality journalism that helps people navigate their lives.”
The Our News, Your Voice campaign comes as major news publishers – including the ABC, Nine, News Corp and Network 10 – this week released a joint statement in support of the government’s proposed News Bargaining Incentive.
The incentive is the latest version of the News Media Bargaining Code, introduced in 2021.
Local and independent publishers are urging the government to consider the needs of smaller and emerging publishers in the new policy design.
LINA believes that as currently drafted, the policy risks creating barriers to participation for small publishers and volunteer-based community media, further entrenching the status quo in a media landscape that is already one of the most concentrated in the world.
“Responsibility remains with the government to ensure Australians have access to verified information,” Ms Stuchbery said.
- External link: Our News, Your Voice
[DISCLOSURE: South Burnett Online is a foundation member of LINA. One-off donations to support SBO can also be made online here]
