Australia’s largest independent publisher Australia Community Media or ACM has made the decision to stop publishing several community newspapers in regional NSW.
Local newspapers such as the Inverell Times, Moree Champion, Tenterfield Star, Glen Innes Examiner and Country Leader will discontinue their weekly printed editions from next month.
ACM managing director Tony Kendall says this decision is difficult and cited social media giant Meta’s withdrawal of funding for Australian news providers and the disappearance of state and federal government advertising in regional newspapers as factors.
In a note to staff, Mr Kendall stated inflation also was a contributing factor with production and distribution costs particularly challenging.
ACM reports the eight NSW papers were “no longer operating sustainably” but their websites would be retained to provide audiences with continued access to the news and sport coverage of their regional cluster, as well as the ACM network’s national news, sport and comment content.
