Thanks John,
It is just so sad to see all these great newspapers going.
Best wishes,
Marie
________________________________
From: ryerson_index-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <ryerson_index-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
on behalf of John Graham <johngrah@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, 16 April 2021 10:02 AM
To: ryerson_index@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <ryerson_index@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [ryerson_index] Latest on ACM papers
The article below appeared on a number of ACM websites yesterday, and in some
print editions today, following its publication in the Canberra Times on 14
April.
This morning I phoned around newsagents in the five areas concerned - they
usually know more than ACM tells us publicly. This is the result:
(NSW) Armidale Express - weekly on Friday starting 23/4 (used to be Wed and Fri)
(NSW) Dungog Chronicle - sole newsagent in town hasn't heard a thing. Phoned
the Chron office, eventually picked up by someone in "classifieds" (probably
ACM) who confirmed weekly on Wednesday, starting 21/4
(Qld) Goondiwindi Argus - weekly on Wednesday starting 21/4
(SA) Coastal Leader (Kingston) - weekly on Wednesday starting 21/4
(SA) Flinders News (Port Pirie) - first newsagent hasn't heard anything. Second
newsagent has heard on the grapevine, but not had confirmation from ACM. No-one
answering the FN office phone on any extension. I would have thought at least
the classies phone would have been manned.
The full ACM announcement is below.
John
Media company ACM will resume publishing a number of local newspapers from next
week, a year after the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic forced the
suspension of printing.
Printed copies of The Armidale
Express<https://apac01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.armidaleexpress.com.au%2F&data=04%7C01%7C%7C645eacd95c8d4afc3c2408d9006afba3%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637541281749691553%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=N2EYHDcJi422XYlWZUkEJIe2b%2FgM8%2F9ea9fr6ADhs0g%3D&reserved=0>and
Dungog
Chronicle<https://apac01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dungogchronicle.com.au%2F&data=04%7C01%7C%7C645eacd95c8d4afc3c2408d9006afba3%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637541281749691553%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=a85lQKDe%2BtX53ID2wfc5J1KM3foyZIj3Si2C0YgB1pk%3D&reserved=0>
in NSW and the Goondiwindi
Argus<https://apac01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.goondiwindiargus.com.au%2F&data=04%7C01%7C%7C645eacd95c8d4afc3c2408d9006afba3%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637541281749701499%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=TogeUBui3b2Ig4s7uNE7dI9lgxU89DDdADH8UkRRq2c%3D&reserved=0>
in Queensland will be back in circulation next week, along with the South
Australian newspapers Coastal
Leader<https://apac01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.coastalleader.com.au%2F&data=04%7C01%7C%7C645eacd95c8d4afc3c2408d9006afba3%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637541281749701499%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=VUlrESY1e3Glm2mxKEm8%2Bdts%2F6DSMW47dZze1hg57GA%3D&reserved=0>
and Flinders
News<https://apac01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theflindersnews.com.au%2F&data=04%7C01%7C%7C645eacd95c8d4afc3c2408d9006afba3%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637541281749701499%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=wwKwYKitSEyVHSs%2B%2FAX16J5zCH9kygnOK0NYca5EteY%3D&reserved=0>.
ACM managing director Tony Kendall said the resumption of printed editions of
the long-standing local mastheads had been made possible by the support of the
Morrison government's Public Interest News Gathering (PING) program.
"We're grateful that the federal government recognised the value of regional
media and we are pleased to be able to bring these titles back in print despite
challenging commercial conditions," Mr Kendall said.
Of the titles returning in print next week, the Armidale, Dungog and
Goondiwindi titles received support under the PING program to maintain online
local news coverage while their printed editions were suspended.
Mr Kendall said the decision to resume printing the papers was taken after
careful assessment of each market but it was not without commercial risk.
He urged local audiences and advertisers to rally around their town's newspaper
and show their support by buying a copy, taking out a digital
subscription<https://apac01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.armidaleexpress.com.au%2Fsubscribe%2F&data=04%7C01%7C%7C645eacd95c8d4afc3c2408d9006afba3%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637541281749711465%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=uc4Odc1rjPGbYbvkbyXcZki6lljsc8r9PTnsrXVsMdo%3D&reserved=0>
or booking an advertisement.
"ACM is committed to regional Australia and we know that our local newspapers
and websites play a vital role keeping people informed," Mr Kendall said.
"But we now need those communities who have told us how much they miss the
local paper to back our journalists and advertising sales staff so these titles
can return to sustainability."
Mr Kendall said the PING grant received by ACM had helped the company continue
to provide public interest journalism for 91 mastheads serving regional and
rural communities in every state and territory.
The program was announced by the government last year to support regional media
hit hard by the economic impact of pandemic shutdowns.
Mr Kendall acknowledged the ongoing challenges of the advertising market's slow
recovery.
"As we review the viability of our portfolio, we have also had to make some
difficult decisions," he said.
This included closing a number of websites where advertising support "has not
recovered since print publishing had to be suspended", such as the Wingham
Chronicle and the Bellingen Courier-Sun in NSW.
These titles had continued to provide local news online after the April 2020
suspension of their weekly printed newspaper.
They were among 12 mastheads retained as digital-only local news providers
under ACM's PING grant.
The Wingham Chronicle's website has now been incorporated into the
manningrivertimes.com.au<https://apac01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.manningrivertimes.com.au%2F&data=04%7C01%7C%7C645eacd95c8d4afc3c2408d9006afba3%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637541281749711465%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=%2FGKJPz%2FsppzmGjbxZ8z6whQRbuN%2BKARvp4Ywa8Qc2Ww%3D&reserved=0>.
Also part of the PING program, the Manning River Times reports news and
community issues on the Mid-North Coast region around Taree and nearby Wingham,
with a journalist from the Wingham Chronicle redeployed to contribute to the
coverage.
The recent closure of the Bellingen Courier-Sun website followed ACM's launch
of a new publication, the Northern Rivers Review, which is distributed to more
than 20 communities across northern NSW, including Byron Bay, Ballina, Lismore
and Casino.
Mr Kendall said ACM remained committed to meeting the objectives and outcomes
of PING, which is administered by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport,
Regional Development and Communications.
"As a grateful PING recipient, we look forward to reporting back to the
department next month on the first six months of grant activity, and outlining
how this important funding has supported ACM's provision of public interest
journalism across regional Australia," he said.
