Regional newspapers will be strengthened by one guaranteed full-page of Victorian government advertising should Labor win the state election on November 26.
A Labor statement described regional newspapers as the “lifeblood” country communities, and if re-elected, the party would support outlets with the growing costs of paper and production.
Premier Daniel Andrews said whether it’s a bushfire, flooding or a global pandemic, regional newspapers had time and time again stepped up and served their readers “in incredibly important ways”.
“Labor is doing what matters – backing regional media outlets with guaranteed advertising revenue so they can keep supporting their local communities,” Mr Andrews said.
Labor said the advertising guarantee build on the support the government had delivered for regional media during the pandemic.
“Labor understands the importance of backing regional media outlets. That’s why we supported Australian Associated Press with a $2.7 million grant to support print and broadcast journalism in regional Victoria,” Labor said.
“Throughout the pandemic, we invested more than $20 million to support regional media outlets through advertising, supporting jobs and protecting local news.”
The Liberal Party was contacted for comment.
