Keeping it local: news themes on regional newspaper front pages

Abstract

Local news is fundamental to the activities of most regional newspapers in Australia. While “local” is a contested term, it has traditionally been used in the Australian regional news media context to refer to issues, events and people occurring or situated within the primary geographical circulation area of a print newspaper. This emphasis on the local extends from what news outlets are reporting to how they report it – and the kinds of understandings they promote about what it means to be part of a regional community. The public-sphere role of such outlets means they are ideally placed to communicate to news audiences ideas about local identity and community. While understandings of community extend beyond geographical considerations, the ongoing emphasis on local news means that geographical location remains at the heart of what regional newspapers do, even at a time when many regional newspapers are becoming less localised because of cost cutting and resource sharing. This paper examines the front pages of a number of Australian regional newspapers over time to explore some of the ideas about regional community and identity that are communicated to news audiences.