Local news often serves as the primary source of information about the community and is an essential platform for civic participation. However, the provision of local news in regional Australia is declining, while audience needs are shifting. This report investigates the gap between journalistic norms and audiences’ perception through an empirical investigation of what audiences want from local news and how they might be involved in the production and dissemination of news.

The report pays special attention to visual news given that smartphones are an important part of the local news landscape, both in its production and consumption. To better understand how audience participation can strengthen the relationship with local news media, the concept of engaged journalism was applied.  

The study confirms a void in the provision of local news as news organisations struggle to find optimal business models to serve the local community. It also finds that the shift to digital in regional news has enabled a unique news ecosystem where audiences are actively engaged in the generation of news through digital platforms, especially using visual formats.

The report includes key recommendations for the local news industry and stakeholders.