The Resurgence of Independent Media
STORY : Winnie Stubbs IMAGES : Luke Burgess
There was a time – not so long ago – when the people featured in the pages of magazines fell overwhelmingly into one category: that of the urban elite. Growing up, ambitious country kids would acquire stacks of glossy magazines and paw over pages that presented an aspirational life worlds apart from their own. When a rurally-based individual was featured, the angle was often one of escape: the idea that success was found elsewhere, that the countryside was a destination for rest and reflection, but never for achievement. Never for progress.
“As a child living in rural Australia, I never felt like the ambitions I held for myself could ever have been fulfilled in a regional context,” reflects Alice Armitage, Pandaemonium’s founding editor.
It was a message from Pandaemonium reader, Hunter Valley based artist Grace Barnes, that inspired this piece – a message that Alice confesses brought her to tears. “I feel like I’m reading the stories and themes of my world which I haven’t ever seen before in print or any media.”
Grace’s message compounded the theory that motivates all of the creatives, editors and publishers we spoke with for this story: that the opportunities that Australia’s regions play host to deserve to be celebrated. And through a swathe of new publications – each unique in their approach, but united in their mission – they are.
A stark contrast from the publications that traditionally formed the regional media canon – mass media syndications whose regional teams often comprised one overworked
journalist, pressured by the constraints of the news house to publish only stories that have traditionally constituted “news” – these publications are creative and youthful. Their pages feature fresh ideas and the stories of innovative, inspiring people whose achievements reflect the myriad of opportunity that exists outside of what Pandaemonium refers to
as “the metropolitan mould”. These publications represent a new wave of print media for Australia’s regions – a movement that arguably couldn’t have been anticipated.
In mid 2020, News Corp announced they would cease printing 112 community and regional newspapers, transitioning 76 of those to digital-only platforms, with 36 titles closing down altogether. Similarly, in 2023, Australian Community Media (ACM) announced the closure of four major mastheads in Western Australia’s South West. These major closures may have represented a decline in traditional print media, but they ushered in a new, more exciting subgenre.
We spoke with five of the founders behind some of Australia’s leading regional publications about their inspiration, motivation and approach, and the role they believe that the stories they’re sharing are playing in the social fabric of regional Australia.
For Alice, shining a light on the pathways and opportunities that exist outside of our cities is the driving force behind her work.
“Pandaemonium has become a way for me to show a more diverse representation of what all of our lives can look like, whether that be in a regional or a metropolitan context. It’s about sharing the stories of the people here doing beautiful, interesting things, and proving that it’s possible.”
Annabelle Hickson | Galah
Publishing is hard work, what motivates you to keep creating Galah?
Publishing a magazine, or a newspaper, or any kind of periodical, is a marathon. An even more frightening way to look at it is a never-ending series of sprints. You learn things along the way, so at least in theory it gets easier, but each new issue starts with a blank page. For me the hardest part of publishing is keeping alive the creative fire you need to make a new issue while dealing with the more practical parts of running a business like how to sell the current issue and pay all the bills and basically not go under. What keeps me going is that - at least to me - this work is meaningful. I want to publish stories from regional Australia that aren’t all doom and gloom and droughts and fires. I want to show the creativity and joy and innovation and opportunities that exist outside of the big cities. I think the stories we tell ourselves matter. I also don’t think I am qualified to do anything else.
What are the main principles that undergird the Galah approach? Don’t underestimate the reader, over-deliver, seek out truth and beauty, be willing to fail.
When you’re putting together a publication, who do you have in mind as your audience?
It is impossible to make something that everyone likes. And if you’re trying to please everyone, it’s almost impossible to make something that is not bland. I think it’s much more useful to picture one reader. A particular friend who is clever and kind and curious. Or you could go the Stadium of Me approach: Podcaster Tim Ferris interviewed writer Tim Urban who said that the audience he pictures is “a stadium full of me”. “That’s my focus group right there, right in my head,” said Urban. “And it’s easy because we’re all kind of special, unique people, except not really. There’s like 100,000 copies of each of you out there somewhere. And the truth is, if I just write for me, there are a lot of people that have my exact weird taste.” Even though it sounds wildly narcissistic, it’s a much more useful strategy than trying to create something for everyone.
What do you have planned for the publication in the future?
Good ideas are easy. And I love the new, but this can be a pretty exhausting way to run a business - so I am trying to focus on making what we already do better, rather than new plans. This is hard and something new that I couldn’t resist setting up is the Galah Regional Photography Prize. Thanks to some very generous patrons, it’s an annual prize - the winner receives $25,000 - and we created it to celebrate, support and advance the practice of regional photographers. Artists are such an important part of regional communities. They bring new ideas, they bring vibrancy and diversity. And if you believe stories matter, then anything we can do to support our photographers will benefit us all.
Tim Leeson | Gippslandia
What is the essential mission of Gippslandia?
Our purpose is ‘telling the positive stories that connect the people, businesses and organisations of Gippsland’. We’re a positive news newspaper that seeks to put Gippsland’s best foot forward with each quarterly release. We want to woo more inspiring, motivated, passionate people to the region, as well continually re-confirming with the loveable rogues that already call this corner of Australia home is incredibly special. An unofficial mission of the publication is that we wanted Gippsland’s young people to feel that they could chase their dreams (whatever they are) here, and not have to escape to Melbourne. And, if they’d headed to the city, now is the best time to return.
Who has shown the most support to Gippslandia since you launched?
This is a tough question to answer, as for the entire life of the paper thus far we’ve been repeatedly surprised by the degree of support provided. We’ve had supporters and contributors that got behind us for the first edition and are still assisting 28 issues later. There are contributors that have entrusted us to present their wonderful creations (photographs, stories or illustrations) for the very first time - which is an absolute honour for us. Generally, it’s the businesses and government bodies that share our vision for a dynamic, diverse and inclusive region that support us. It likely doesn’t need to be said, but if Gippsland is humming with energy and attracting visitors, it’s likely going to be better for their business. From a content contribution perspective, we absolutely receive more works from women. I’m not keen to make any simplistic assumptions, but Gippsland women are passionate about sharing the success and talents of their communities with other people - using the platform to shout the brilliance of others. I’m very interested if this is echoed in other publications that you speak with.
Has there been a moment or experience that exemplifies what you set out to create?
I feel fortunate to have a few. In fact, I dare say it is something that fuels the team at times. One was having a young business woman share that she had believed that most businesspeople were some variation of male, pale and stale, but that Gippslandia had helped convince her that there were other people that looked like her creating successful businesses in the region. Gratefully, we’ve had a number of people write in and share that Gippslandia assisted in luring to Gippsland, and they’re now loving living here. Finally, our editions that explored the concepts of ‘Youth’ and our First Nations people were rather challenging to create for numerous reasons, but immensely rewarding to release.
What do you have planned for the publication in the future?
Keep showcasing the best Gippsland has to offer, including some big, bold and brave ideas; a second edition created with the region’s young people (which will involve a mentoring program) and some unique road trips. We’re developing a new book, and are open to collaborating on new events and initiatives. In what may be our toughest challenge, and likely similar with many other regional publications, we’re continuing our struggle to remain economically viable as we have a clear goal of being printed and delivered across Gippsland & into Melbourne for many years to come. There are many more Gippsland tales to be told, and Gippslandia shall be the medium to share them with you.
Jess Buchan | Kununurra Sun
Was there a specific moment that you remember conceiving of the idea to launch the paper?
The moment I remember the best is finishing up a phone call with our very first sponsor. At first he thought we were high school kids but once we clarified we were both in our early 30s he took us more seriously. At the end of the call once he confirmed the sponsorship, he said jokingly ‘Now you better not fuck this up.’ I remember Rosie and I looking at each other and going ‘Holy cow what have we gotten ourselves into!’
What do you think it is about the Kununurra area and community specifically that lends itself to the publication?
We talk about this a lot actually. Kununurra is a small community with a huge heart. We often say it’s a town of have-a-goers which I guess is how KNX Sun came to life. There is so much going on and so many movers and shakers in the community, we knew finding stories wouldn’t be hard. Many of us have moved here away from family and friends so in a way, we’re banded together by being here. From our experience, if you’re willing to give something a go, people will get around you and support you. We also found that most press coming out of Kununurra was negative, which is not an accurate reflection of the community. Of course there are social issues that any remote town faces however there were many more positive stories to share that weren’t seeing the light of day. It also helps that Kununurra is a spectacular part of the world. With the East Kimberley right on our doorstep, there is no shortage of stunning locations to explore - giving us plenty of content to work with, image-wise!
What role do you think the Kununurra Sun plays in the community? How have you seen this unfold since you launched?
From the get-go we always wanted Kununurra Sun to shine a light on the town of Kununurra. From featuring local events, championing local heroes to supporting small businesses, we wanted to ensure that the community was aware and proud of what was going on in the town. Thankfully the magazine has been positively received from the first edition and we’ve now even expanded into selling KNX Sun merchandise. The trickiest part was getting people to take us seriously. Initially when we were approaching businesses for support, they were hesitant to be involved, which is totally understandable! Now, we’re pleased to say that the Sun has been shining for over 12 months and are receiving many requests from local businesses and government organisations to advertise in our magazine. We’ve been told that Kununurra Sun is shared by businesses as a resource for potential employees looking to move to the region.
What do you have planned for the publication in the future?
As we still both work full-time, Kununurra Sun will continue as it is however you never know what the future holds! Our team has grown from just the two of us, to now a team of five. We all volunteer our time at the moment so it would be fantastic to be in a position where we can employ someone full-time to coordinate putting together the magazine - just need a few more sponsors to jump onboard!
Harry Clarke | Country Caller
What was your relationship to print media growing up?
My main memory of print media while growing up was seeing my Dad read The Australian newspaper every day, cover to cover. Occasionally I get the thrill of seeing my photograph in my local Chinchilla News for some kind of minor sporting achievement. I was aware the local paper was an important part of community life, but I didn’t really have a concept of ‘news’ and never had any ambition to become a journalist. Indeed, I still didn’t even really know what a journalist was when I chose to study journalism at university. The only ‘A’ I received for a subject in high school was in English, and I chose journalism because it seemed like it related best to my vague interest in writing and humanities.
Tell me about what your experience working at large media corporations taught you about the regional media landscape.
Sadly the availability of regional news was generally in decline throughout my time working in the city. And while this was going on, resourcing in metro news was also in decline, so our ability to cover regional events and issues from a city-based newsroom was limited. It’s not that
city news producers don’t care about the regions or don’t find stories from the bush interesting, but in a challenging economic and technological environment it’s imperative that at least the bulk audience, ie the metro populous, is served. Working as a small town journalist taught me how the media fits among the other components of a community – and those lessons applied throughout the years that I worked for the big corporations.
Was there a specific moment that you realised there was a space for Country Caller?
In June of 2020, in one fell swoop, dozens of rural newspapers across Queensland folded. The publication mastheads remained online but printed news was discontinued and dozens of rural journalist jobs were subsequently made redundant. The opportunity that created for a new publication was obvious. I considered making the Country Caller a printed newspaper and although that hasn’t eventuated, I believe my online publication has still helped to fill some of the void left by newspaper closures.
What was the initial response to the launch?
Before launching I had at least two great stories ready to go - one was a tongue-in-cheek opinion piece about Chinchilla getting its first traffic light, and the second was quite an extensive investigation piece about coal seam gas development in the Surat Basin. Both stories ‘went viral’ and instantly gave a sizeable audience a good taste of what the Country Caller was all about. The response ever since has been overwhelmingly positive. Readers and viewers, very kindly, often tell us we’re doing a great job and the publication has also been recognised within the news industry by winning five journalism awards.
What are your plans for Country Caller in the future?
We’re currently in the middle of a big undertaking - going from a purely advertising revenue model to a subscription revenue model, which involves a lot of restructuring and re prioritising . But most importantly we intend to maintain an award-winning standard of journalism. Hopefully that will continue to be recognised by a growing number of news consumers who are prepared to spend a modest few dollars per month in exchange for high quality content. Hopefully that will allow us to invest in further growth and expansion. Currently we’re a team of three. Why shouldn’t we aim to be a team of 50?
Alice Armitage | Pandaemonium
What inspired you to start Pandaemonium?
The idea of starting the paper happened at this intersection of a few different things. I went off and had this big life in tech and venture capital, and the more I was becoming disillusioned with that the more I was longing for home. Thinking about returning home, I had no idea how to build a life for myself there, but I was seeing so many people starting to emerge doing really interesting and beautiful things in the regions. That also intersected with my cousin Nicholas taking his own life. He was only eighteen, and it’s my belief (and I think everyone has their (own reconciliation with these things) that he held some really strong aspirations that he just didn’t know how he could achieve. I don’t want that to happen to another young person in the regions, and the role I can play is through shining a light on the options that are out there.
What was the initial response from the launch?
Madness. I never really anticipated that anyone would actually want to read it, but the initial response was amazing and it’s grown exponentially. We’ve been alive for eighteen months and our readership is up to 18,000 people Australia-wide, our social and digital presence has just gone crazy. Our growth has been huge, so much so that i can’t comprehend it.
What defines the Pandaemonium audience?
We sit in the in-between space, which is something that I’m really proud of. Often people can have a very limited understanding of what life in regional Australia looks like: it’s usually beautiful farmers wives in head to toe linen in beautiful homesteads. Pandaemonium’s audience is more progressive, we have three audience themes. The largest sector is probably the group of people who live in the geographical in- between spaces, the people who have moved out of the city to those semi-rural regions, or people who live there and have never lived in the city, but have strong connections to a metropolitan way of live. We also have a huge metropolitan readership: 35 per cent of our papers go into the city and the rest of the audience is, I hope, made up of those people in regional Australia who don’t feel like they quite fit the mould of the communities they live in.
What has surprised you most since launching Pandaemonium?
Maybe it’s not surprising, but my automatic reaction to this question is to think about the individuals who are impacted by our work. I get messages from the most incredible, inspiring people who have read something and are just so moved by our work that they have become such strong advocates for what we do. I’ll never forget this message from a gorgeous girl called Grace Barnes who said that reading through the paper was the first time that she felt like she had representation. That was really special.
What do you have planned for the publication in the future?
I think there’s duality around this – continuing to grow is the obvious answer, for a really important reason that links into the previous question. Every single person that we get in front of is another opportunity for us to have a positive impact on someone’s life. The second part of that is to build more diverse ways to engage with people through different content. The community membership we’re about to launch is a huge element of that – more specific and targeted support for those who are trying to get initiatives off the ground in the regions.
