FACEBOOK users believe local newspapers are essential to their communities, even though they don’t read them regularly.
A national survey has found that 64.5% of respondents consider a printed copy of a local newspaper an essential service to their communities.
And 48% state that when they did read a local newspaper, they prefer to do so in print, compared with online (33%) or via social media (13%).
The survey, conducted in July and August this year, sought the views of 400 Facebook users, who do not read a local newspaper, about the role of local news within their communities.
The findings come as many local newspapers have struggled to survive during the pandemic.
Deakin University Associate Professor Kristy Hess, who is leading the research, said the Facebook survey supported findings from a previous national study of local newspaper readers, highlighting a passion for the printed product.
Cost and accessibility were the key reasons these Facebook users did not engage with a local newspaper in print or digital format, said Dr Hess.
“Many participants highlighted that the absence of a home-delivery service or easy way to access the paper created an impediment to accessing the physical copy. They also indicated that they resisted paying for local news and would engage if it were free.
“This resonates with findings from our first survey of newspaper readers – that is, the existence of a culture of ‘free’ where people believe local news content should be readily available without cost to audiences.”
Executive Director of Country Press Australia, Bruce Morgan, said the survey results were not surprising and reinforced the mood of many regional communities.
“It is not just about the survival of local independent [newspaper] businesses, but that it is fundamental to community well-being, and to basic democratic notions of accountability within those communities,” he said.
“Issues around accessibility and cost are also not surprising and reflect swings in community expectation in recent generations. Most independent publishers are adapting to that, having learned from the mistakes of the big corporate players who are now deserting the regions.”
Both surveys are part of a national three-year Australian Research Council-funded project involving researchers from Deakin and RMIT universities, with support from Country Press Australia, the peak media body for independent news organisations. The project is about to enter its third year.
Associate Professor Hess said the voices and perspectives of everyday people were often missing in policy discussion about the future of local media.
Almost 30 percent of Australia’s population, close to 8 million people, live outside major cities in rural and regional areas, and are less-well serviced than their urban counterparts.
