Mike Verzosa
8 October 2026: Researchers from the University of Canberra, Deakin University and RMIT University have released a new report on news consumption behaviour in regional, rural and remote areas, exploring how local news organisations can rebuild trust and engagement with those audiences.
Engaged Journalism: A Vision for Closer Connections draws on years of research data to provide insight into how Australians in the regions access, trust and engage with local news – and what can be done to reverse growing news avoidance and dissatisfaction among those audiences. .
The report found that interest and trust in local news remains high among regional Australians – if the news is about issues relevant to their local areas, as they use it to feel connected to their communities. They are also more likely to trust news when they perceive that the news organisation cares about the local community.
However, the report also highlights that with the increasing introduction of paywalls and costs to access news, regional Australians are less likely to pay for news than their metropolitan counterparts. While audiences are turning to alternative sources, such as social media, for local information, concerns about misinformation on these platforms, also sees many disengaging from news altogether.
“As news organisations adapt to changing economic and audience conditions, sustainable, audience-centred approaches to journalism are becoming increasingly important for serving regional audiences” said Sora Park, Professor of Communication and Director of the News and Media Research Centre (N&MRC) at the University.
The research team refers to the "three Cs" – community, commitment and continuity – as a guiding framework for local news providers looking to rebuild relevance and trust with their audiences, and to build a local news network with diverse news formats, co-creation, local participation, and new funding and revenue models.
The report also includes a sampler of engaged journalism approaches drawn from the researchers' and others’ work, ranging from newsroom tours and community photo voice projects to reader panels and co-created journalism initiatives, designed to help local outlets involve their communities more directly in the news-making process.
"Our research found that audiences want more engagement with news,” said Kristy Hess, Professor of Communication at Deakin University.
“The future of local news will depend on finding new ways to reach and engage audiences, while securing sustainable funding needed to support quality journalism.”
The findings of the report draw on multiple major research projects, including the Digital News Report: Australia and the Heartbeat of Australia survey.
The report builds on an existing partnership between the three universities and industry stakeholders, including Australian Community Media, and was launched at the Engaged Journalism workshop today.
“A range of publishers serving different communities with different business models are participating in the discussion, with industry stakeholders will explore how engaged journalism can help rebuild relationships with regional audiences, and share insights from their experiences,” said T.J. Thomson, Associate Professor of Visual Communication at RMIT University.
