Fifty-one news publishers and independent journalists will be awarded AU$5M in funding from the Meta Australian News Fund, in the third round of a AUD$15M three-year investment in partnership with the Walkley Foundation. In its final year, the fund program has so far supported around 150 eligible Australian-based newsrooms and journalists to foster innovation and improve public interest journalism in Australia.
This year’s successful recipients represent a diverse set of digital-first publications, and publishers that cater to underrepresented audiences such as culturally diverse, LGBTQI+, First Nation peoples, gender diverse, regional, rural, and economically disadvantaged communities and journalists working with a disability. In this round there was an additional focus on stories or projects that prioritise: video first, women in sport, First Nations languages and languages other than English. The Walkley Foundation managed the judging process independently of Meta.
Learn more about the Meta Australia News Fund here.
| Public Interest Journalism Fund | |
| Organisation/Individual | Project |
| Agenda Media Pty Ltd. | Women’s Agenda – The New Rules, Women’s Sports Coverage and Podcast |
| BUNDABERG MEDIA PTY LTD | Breaking Boundaries: Women of Bundaberg Sport |
| Daniel Clarke / Ad Hoc Docs | Untitled one-hour documentary based on Kangaroo Island |
| Community Broadcasting Association of Australia | Establishing a First Nations Community Journalist in Canberra |
| Chris Earl | Sport connecting rural flood-hit communities |
| Catherine Fox | Contributing Editor and Writers’ Program for Women in Media’s Gender Equality Initiative |
| Geelong Independent Pty Ltd | Regional News Inclusivity Initiative |
| The Greek Herald – Foreign Language press pty ltd | Video Series – The Greek Herald |
| Gympie Today Pty Ltd | Outback Pride Celebrating LGBTQIA+ stories in regional Queensland |
| Ipswich Media Pty Ltd | Deadly Athletes |
| KORE Communication Strategy Research Pty Ltd and KORE CSR | New England Times Investigations Unit |
| Patrick Lenton | The LGBTQIA+ Media Watch Project |
| The Local Publishing Group | Championing Women |
| The Local Rag | ‘Regional Dialect’, amplifying the voices of regional communities |
| Mibenge Nsenduluka | Back Cover is an agenda setting news portal that will be focusing on the diverse voices of Australia. |
| MMP Star Pty Ltd | Women’s Health Project |
| Lucie Morris Marr | Indigenous Australian special project series |
| North East Media Pty Ltd | Agenda Setting Editorial Topics Digital First Publishing |
| Out Publications Pty Ltd | LGBTQIA+ Journalism Project |
| Pulse Media Group Pty Ltd | Pulse Hobart & Tasmania – Regional Youth Journalism |
| Rachel Rayner | Discover This – Rachel Rayner, Science Explainer |
| The Riverine Grazier Pty Ltd | The Riverine Grazier Local Journalism Digital Storytelling and Website Upgrade Project |
| South Burnett Today Pty Ltd | Indigenous Language News |
| Stormvale P/L as T/F Creighton Family Trust t/as Boonah Newspaper Co | Video capability to enhance PIJ and newsroom sustainability |
| Peri Strathearn | Telling the Murraylands’ Stories |
| Sydney Educational Broadcasting Ltd | 2SER Independent Radio News |
| Times News Group and Surf Coast News Australia Pty Ltd | SheThrives: Amplifying Female Voices |
| Warrumbungle Publications Pty Ltd | Wattle Magazine |
| Digital Innovation Fund | |
| Organisation/Individual | Project |
| Agenda Media Pty Ltd (Women’s Agenda) | Women’s Sport |
| Altmedia Pty Ltd Project | City Hub Sydney Digitization of Historic Archives |
| Australian Neighbourhood Media | The Hawkesbury Post |
| Australian Property Media Publications Pty Ltd | Social, Community and Indigenous Housing, Women’s Crisis Accommodation |
| Australian Science Media Centre Inc | Scimex Upgrade |
| Big Issue in Australia Limited | Support a new Digital Content Creator whose role it is to ideate and execute The Big Issue’s digital ecosystem. |
| CBAA: Community Broadcasting Association of Australia | CBAA: Collaborative Newsroom Project |
| Central Queensland Media Pty Ltd | Climate Changers |
| Communico Media Group pty ltd / Intermedia Group Pty Ltd Project | Communico Media Group |
| The Daily Aus | The Smart Friend in Your DMs |
| Gympie Today Pty Ltd | Fires Floods and First Responders |
| National Indigenous Radio Service | National Indigenous Radio Service |
| North East Media trading as Mid West Media | North East Media Pty Ltd trading as Mid West Media |
| Peppermint Magazine | Peppermint Publishing Digital |
| Pulse Media Group Pty Ltd | Pulse Hobart/Tasmania – Realtime Digital Reporting |
| The Royal Institution of Australia | The Royal Institution of Australia |
| SA Today Pty Ltd | Tennant Creek News |
| South Burnett Today Pty Ltd | Western Downs News Service |
| Squiz Media Pty Ltd Project | Newshounds by Squiz Kids |
| Surf Coast News Australia Pty Ltd/ Times News Group | Empowering Journalists with Multi-Platform Content Creation |
| Sydney Educational Broadcasting Ltd | 2SER Digital Innovation in Podcasting & Comedy |
| Vertical Networks Group Pty Ltd | Arts Hub |
| WOMEN IN MEDIA AUSTRALIA LIMITED | Women in Media |