When the last page turns

More than 160 Australian news outlets have reportedly closed in the past five years, with regional and rural communities accounting for about 60 per cent of those losses. For towns like Cowra and Canowindra, the concern is not simply whether printed newspapers will survive: it is what communities stand to lose if local journalists are no longer there to report on council decisions, recognise sporting achievements, celebrate school milestones and document the people shaping their towns. Research compiled by the Public Interest Journalism Initiative identified 166 news outlet closures across Australia over a five-year period, with approximately 60 per cent occurring in regional and rural areas. Research attributed to RMIT University also found that more than 100 of the 435 regional and community newspapers operating in 2019 had stopped printing, moved online or merged within the following two years. For former Cowra newspaper editor Andrew Fisher, who has spent four decades working in community journalism, the value of a local newspaper is difficult to measure through circulation figures or advertising revenue alone. His relationship with newspapers began as a child, when he would walk to the corner store to purchase the Sunday paper for its comics. Now in his 60s, Mr Fisher has witnessed major changes in the industry, from the way newspapers are produced to the way readers access information. "For me, newspapers have never been just about delivering the news. They are about connection, community identity and telling the stories of the people, organisations and sporting clubs that make a town what it is," he said. For Mr Fisher, one of the most important aspects of local journalism is its ability to recognise moments that may never attract the attention of larger news organisations. Mr Fisher describes this as "refrigerator news", referring to newspaper photographs and articles that families cut out and display in their homes. "It's news that lives on beyond the page, rather than disappearing with the next scroll of a phone or iPad screen," he said. For Mr Fisher, local newspapers also provide something that can be difficult to achieve when information is spread across multiple social media pages and online platforms. "A local newspaper offers something different: a common source of information that brings people together around the stories, issues and events that matter to them," he said. Someone reading about a council decision may also discover a school achievement, a community fundraiser or a sporting result they might otherwise have missed. "Newspapers document a community's history, give local people a voice and help create a sense of belonging," Mr Fisher said. "They make people feel that their lives, achievements and concerns matter enough to be told as a story." However, the importance of local journalism extends beyond the stories families choose to keep. Some of its most significant work involves decisions that affect residents' everyday lives. Council spending, infrastructure projects, water charges, community consultation and public services all have consequences for the people living in a local government area. During the COVID-19 period, more than 200 news contractions and closures were recorded across Australia, while separate research found that 68 per cent of 182 documented news contractions occurred in regional areas. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission identified 21 local government areas without a local newspaper in 2019, including 16 in regional Australia. Later research also reported that 27 of Australia's 567 local government areas had no dedicated local news service. In Cowra, projects such as the hospital redevelopment, aquatic centre redevelopment and water infrastructure planning are examples of matters requiring ongoing public information and scrutiny. But not everyone has the time or opportunity to attend council meetings, read lengthy reports or follow every decision made by local representatives. Cowra Mayor Paul Smith believes local journalism plays an important role in making that information accessible. "Local journalism is a method of local people being able to follow councils' meetings and decisions without attending the council meetings," he said. "It also allows us, as a council, to inform the residents of the town of what's happening and what our priorities are.” For Cowra Deputy Mayor Cheryl Downing, the relationship between local journalism and local government is an important part of maintaining an informed community. "I have always believed that local journalism helps bridge the gap between council and community," she said. "Council decisions belong to the whole community, not just those sitting around the table. "Local journalism helps bridge that gap, keeping people informed and encouraging greater participation.” But providing information is only one part of the job. Independent journalism also involves asking questions, examining decisions and seeking explanations from those responsible. A council can publish its own announcements and provide updates about projects, but independent reporting can offer additional perspectives and question matters that require further attention. Cr Downing believes those differences do not have to undermine the relationship. "A healthy relationship between council and the media is built on openness, honesty and respect, even when we don't always agree," she said. Without journalists attending meetings, asking questions and following up on decisions, some issues may receive less public attention. The Australian Parliament's Pressing Matters report has also recognised the importance of regional newspapers in providing local information and supporting community connections and democratic participation. "At the end of the day, council can draw the outline, but local journalists colour in the picture for the community," she said. While council reporting is one of the more serious responsibilities of a local newspaper, its influence can also be found in local businesses, schools and sporting clubs. For Elders Emms Mooney manager Adam Gambril, local media continues to play an important role in connecting businesses with the people they serve: newspapers remain a way to promote local properties, share information about events and reach people with an interest in the region. "While digital marketing allows us to reach a broad audience, local newspapers provide a trusted platform that keeps people informed about what is happening in their own region," he said. “I think strong local media helps strengthen the connection between local businesses, community organisations, and residents, which is something that benefits the whole community.” For schools, the value of newspaper coverage can be more personal. St Raphael's Catholic School representative Kristy Koen believes sharing students' achievements through the Cowra Guardian strengthens the relationship between the school and the wider community. "At St Raphael's, we believe that education is a partnership between school, family, and community," she said. "Celebrating our students' fantastic achievements in our local paper isn't just about recognising their hard work - it's about bringing our whole community together to share in their success.” That same sense of community recognition is important in local sport. Cowra Eagles Senior Soccer Club president Drew Willis believes newspaper coverage allows supporters who cannot attend matches to keep up with results, player achievements and club developments. Mr Willis considers local journalism a reliable source of information and believes it continues to hold value despite the growing use of social media. "It's really the only reliable news source," he said. He said one of the clearest signs that people continue to read local sporting coverage is the number of articles shared with him by other residents. "I just get random people send them to me. So it's obvious people still see them," he said. "It's just reassuring to know that there's still local news getting around.” A newspaper article can preserve a team's premiership victory, recognise a player's achievement or record the contributions of people who have spent years supporting a club. Those stories become part of the history of local sport, providing a record that future players, families and supporters can look back on. The importance of this continues, even though the way people access news is changing. For 15-year-old Cowra resident Jojo Giallourakis, local newspapers remain important, even though she usually gets her news through digital platforms. "I think local newspapers are important because they tell us about the information and things happening around our town," she said. Jojo also recognises the importance of printed newspapers for residents who may not have reliable internet access, who prefer traditional media or have limited access to digital services. "I usually get my news from Facebook or online but I know many people prefer the newspaper," she said. Stories are often accessed through social media, websites and mobile phones – the shift changing how newspapers reach their audiences and how they generate revenue. Advertising that once supported local publications has increasingly moved towards major digital platforms, including Facebook and Google. At the same time, readers have become accustomed to accessing large amounts of information online, often without paying directly for it. For local publishers, the challenge is maintaining the resources needed to produce original journalism while adapting to those changes. The continued presence of regional newspapers across Australia shows that the industry has not disappeared. Country Press Australia reportedly represented more than 230 local and regional newspapers in 2024, demonstrating the ongoing presence of community publications despite the pressures facing the sector. But the future of local journalism may depend less on whether stories are published in print or online and more on whether news organisations can continue employing people to report them. A publication produced outside its community may still provide news, but fewer locally based reporters can mean fewer opportunities to build relationships, attend events and understand issues that have developed over many years. Social media allows information to be shared quickly, and community organisations can now communicate directly with residents through their own pages. Sporting clubs can publish match results, schools can celebrate student achievements and councils can announce decisions without relying on a newspaper. But producing independent journalism requires more than distributing information: it involves speaking to different sources, checking facts, attending meetings, asking questions and ensuring that information is accurate and fair. Those responsibilities remain the same whether a story appears in a printed newspaper or on a website. For Mr Fisher, the importance of local journalism has never been limited to the format in which it is delivered. "But the value of local journalism goes beyond the platform on which it is delivered," he said. "It lies in the connections it creates, the stories it preserves and the sense of community it helps foster."