Having permanently ceased printing the Moruya Examiner a year ago under the cloak of Covid, Australian Community Media (ACM), the owners of the Bay Post and Narooma News reduced the number of pages of their papers and most recently reduced the Bay Post to once per week with just 24 pages of mainly regional cloned stories that occupy just over 50% of their editions.
The Bay Post and Narooma News have been reduced to a mere sliver but they now want more for providing less. And that comes on top of ACM receiving $10.3 million to support regional journalism.
Fortunately the community has the Braidwood Bugle, the Moruya Mail, About Regional and the "rag of a blog" that the Mayor likes to call The Beagle - and all of these are free, timely and offer quality news worthy of following on social media or via their websites.
Add to the mix ABC South East NSW, 2EC, Community Radio 2EAR-FM and your input of local news is pretty much covered.
The sad thing about the price rise of the news paper is that ACM have not lifted their game and offer a better product.
Where did the $10.3 million go that ACM received from the Federal Government? It certainly didn't make it to the South East.
This comes at a time when commercial TV stations are pulling out of regional news.
What are your thoughts on local media? What would need to happen for you to want to be more engaged with local news?
