Local and independent news publishers gather in Murray Bridge for national conference
More than 120 publishers and industry stakeholders have spent three days building towards the future of local news at the Bridgeport Hotel.
This story was contributed by the Local and Independent News Association.
Local and independent publishers from across Australia have visited Murray Bridge over the past week for a national summit by the Local and Independent News Association.
LINA’s summit equipped newsrooms to tackle key issues facing their industry, including community building, and sustainable scaling for small publishers, emerging technologies and storytelling techniques.
Executive director Claire Stuchbery said the summit, co-hosted by Murray Bridge News, was also a chance for publishers from across the country to meet in-person and share advice and insights.
“While deeply embedded in their local communities, being an independent news publisher can be a challenging job,” she said.
“Some of our members are the only journalists reporting in their area.
“One of LINA’s key roles is to help provide a network of support for people working in isolation to serve their communities.
“This is partly through the services we offer – tech support, legal advice, revenue growth programs, templates and training and so on – but also facilitating opportunities like this for publishers to gather and connect with each other.”
LINA welcomed its first member newsroom in 2022, and now supports more than 170 news publishers across Australia.
The annual conference kicked off last Wednesday with intensive practical workshops on impact-driven scaling, revenue ready newsletters and video journalism, followed by a welcome dinner at the 1924 Riverfront Steakhouse.
Among those gathered in Murray Bridge for the LINA summit are Sam Cullen, Kate Lockyer, Margy Vary and David Grant. Photos: Jacob Jennings/LINA.
Murray Bridge News managing editor Peri Strathearn said he was excited about hosting a top-level industry gathering in the community, just six years after he launched his publication during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The LINA summit is always my favourite week of the year: a time to network with amazing people, swap knowledge and feel supported in what can be a challenging operating environment,” he said.
“I hope LINA members (have) come away from these few days refreshed, full of enthusiasm and ready to implement what they’ve learned at their own publications around Australia.”
Topics covered throughout the three-day event included working with content creators, the role of news in civics and democracy, choosing a not-for-profit business structure, reporting before, during and after emergencies, how to pitch advertising, and much more.
Michael and Rita Lindsay welcome delegates to Ngarrindjeri country; later, Dale Manson, Brittany Schulz, Courtney Blacker and Peri Strathearn talk about community engagement. Photos: Jacob Jennings/LINA.
Locals Courtney Blacker, Dale Manson and Brittany Schulz featured on a panel discussion about community engagement; and photographer Jacob Jennings, technician Jordan Holmes, Ngarrindjeri welcomers Rita and Michael Lindsay and volunteers Keren Strathearn and Gail Manson all helped out.
The event welcomed international speakers too, including US-based David Grant from Blue Engine Collaborative, who shared lessons on growth gathered from working with hundreds of newsrooms across the globe.
Beyond fostering industry collaboration, LINA’s annual summit also set the agenda for the industry association’s work moving forward, with a focus on practical support for newsrooms and building awareness of the contribution journalism makes in communities.
The event would have injected more than $40,000 into the Murraylands’ economy, based on River Murray, Lakes and Coorong estimates.
- More information: lina.org.au.
Disclosure: Murray Bridge News is a LINA member and Mr Strathearn is a LINA board member.
