Examining the Social, Civic, and Political Impact of Local Newspaper Closure in Outback Australia
Autor(a) principal: | |
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Data de Publicação: | 2023 |
Outros Autores: | , |
Tipo de documento: | Artigo |
Idioma: | eng |
Título da fonte: | Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
Texto Completo: | https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i3.6697 |
Resumo: | Scholars across the globe have focused intently on mapping news deserts and gaps where public interest journalism is lacking or in peril. However, little attention is paid to understanding the impacts and changing media-related practices of people who live in communities that lose a designated news service—notably a local newspaper. This article draws on a focused ethnographic study of a small outback mining town, Lightning Ridge (population 2,284), in central New South Wales, Australia. The research was conducted over a two-month period and involved participant observation, 31 interviews with residents and relevant stakeholders, and examination of several media platforms relevant to the town. The article begins with an overview of Australian policy interventions to address the decline of public interest journalism. It then discusses the impact of a local newspaper’s closure via three themes—social, civic, and political. This is important because much of the policy focus in Australia is on the threat “news gaps” present to democracy. However, it is also necessary to understand the nuances of local media’s role in shaping everyday social connections and ritualistic practices and elevating issues to local networks of power. The article concludes by considering how current policy interventions can learn from failed attempts to fill the news gap in Lightning Ridge. |
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Examining the Social, Civic, and Political Impact of Local Newspaper Closure in Outback Australialocal journalism; local newspapers; news gaps; news deserts; rural mediaScholars across the globe have focused intently on mapping news deserts and gaps where public interest journalism is lacking or in peril. However, little attention is paid to understanding the impacts and changing media-related practices of people who live in communities that lose a designated news service—notably a local newspaper. This article draws on a focused ethnographic study of a small outback mining town, Lightning Ridge (population 2,284), in central New South Wales, Australia. The research was conducted over a two-month period and involved participant observation, 31 interviews with residents and relevant stakeholders, and examination of several media platforms relevant to the town. The article begins with an overview of Australian policy interventions to address the decline of public interest journalism. It then discusses the impact of a local newspaper’s closure via three themes—social, civic, and political. This is important because much of the policy focus in Australia is on the threat “news gaps” present to democracy. However, it is also necessary to understand the nuances of local media’s role in shaping everyday social connections and ritualistic practices and elevating issues to local networks of power. The article concludes by considering how current policy interventions can learn from failed attempts to fill the news gap in Lightning Ridge.Cogitatio Press2023-09-28info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttps://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i3.6697https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i3.6697Media and Communication; Vol 11, No 3 (2023): News Deserts: Places and Spaces Without News; 404-4132183-243910.17645/mac.i363reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAPenghttps://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/6697https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/6697/6697Copyright (c) 2023 Marco Magasic, Kristy Hess, Julie Freemaninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessMagasic, MarcoHess, KristyFreeman, Julie2023-09-28T17:45:24Zoai:ojs.cogitatiopress.com:article/6697Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireopendoar:71602024-03-19T20:31:39.038492Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse |
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
Examining the Social, Civic, and Political Impact of Local Newspaper Closure in Outback Australia |
title |
Examining the Social, Civic, and Political Impact of Local Newspaper Closure in Outback Australia |
spellingShingle |
Examining the Social, Civic, and Political Impact of Local Newspaper Closure in Outback Australia Magasic, Marco local journalism; local newspapers; news gaps; news deserts; rural media |
title_short |
Examining the Social, Civic, and Political Impact of Local Newspaper Closure in Outback Australia |
title_full |
Examining the Social, Civic, and Political Impact of Local Newspaper Closure in Outback Australia |
title_fullStr |
Examining the Social, Civic, and Political Impact of Local Newspaper Closure in Outback Australia |
title_full_unstemmed |
Examining the Social, Civic, and Political Impact of Local Newspaper Closure in Outback Australia |
title_sort |
Examining the Social, Civic, and Political Impact of Local Newspaper Closure in Outback Australia |
author |
Magasic, Marco |
author_facet |
Magasic, Marco Hess, Kristy Freeman, Julie |
author_role |
author |
author2 |
Hess, Kristy Freeman, Julie |
author2_role |
author author |
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv |
Magasic, Marco Hess, Kristy Freeman, Julie |
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv |
local journalism; local newspapers; news gaps; news deserts; rural media |
topic |
local journalism; local newspapers; news gaps; news deserts; rural media |
description |
Scholars across the globe have focused intently on mapping news deserts and gaps where public interest journalism is lacking or in peril. However, little attention is paid to understanding the impacts and changing media-related practices of people who live in communities that lose a designated news service—notably a local newspaper. This article draws on a focused ethnographic study of a small outback mining town, Lightning Ridge (population 2,284), in central New South Wales, Australia. The research was conducted over a two-month period and involved participant observation, 31 interviews with residents and relevant stakeholders, and examination of several media platforms relevant to the town. The article begins with an overview of Australian policy interventions to address the decline of public interest journalism. It then discusses the impact of a local newspaper’s closure via three themes—social, civic, and political. This is important because much of the policy focus in Australia is on the threat “news gaps” present to democracy. However, it is also necessary to understand the nuances of local media’s role in shaping everyday social connections and ritualistic practices and elevating issues to local networks of power. The article concludes by considering how current policy interventions can learn from failed attempts to fill the news gap in Lightning Ridge. |
publishDate |
2023 |
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv |
2023-09-28 |
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
format |
article |
status_str |
publishedVersion |
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv |
https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i3.6697 https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i3.6697 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v11i3.6697 |
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv |
eng |
language |
eng |
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv |
https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/6697 https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/6697/6697 |
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv |
Copyright (c) 2023 Marco Magasic, Kristy Hess, Julie Freeman info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
rights_invalid_str_mv |
Copyright (c) 2023 Marco Magasic, Kristy Hess, Julie Freeman |
eu_rights_str_mv |
openAccess |
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv |
application/pdf |
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Cogitatio Press |
publisher.none.fl_str_mv |
Cogitatio Press |
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv |
Media and Communication; Vol 11, No 3 (2023): News Deserts: Places and Spaces Without News; 404-413 2183-2439 10.17645/mac.i363 reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação instacron:RCAAP |
instname_str |
Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
instacron_str |
RCAAP |
institution |
RCAAP |
reponame_str |
Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
collection |
Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
repository.name.fl_str_mv |
Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
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1799133584128212992 |