Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce says he has spoken to Scott Morrison about subsidies to help regional newspapers meet spiralling newsprint costs.
Australian Community Media, the publisher of this masthead, and the Country Press Association have met with Communications Minister Paul Fletcher and the Opposition to ask for emergency funds to "soften the blow" of an imminent 80 per cent rise in newsprint prices.
Mr Joyce said at a campaign event in Singleton on Wednesday that he had raised the issue with the Prime Minister that morning, but he stopped short of making financial commitments.
"We must have a vibrant fourth estate, otherwise I can get away with anything," he said.
"You've got to be able to hold me to account; you've got to be able to hold the local government to account.
"Without that you don't have a democracy, and local people want to read local news."
ACM, which has launched a public campaign on the issue, warns papers will close unless the company receives financial support.
"We had been planning for an increase in newsprint costs of around 30 per cent, but Australia has only one newsprint producer, and it is immovable in its terms," ACM managing director Tony Kendall said in a message to staff on Tuesday.
"While most of our titles remain strong, some of our smallest and most marginal titles may face closure if government support is not forthcoming."
Mr Kendall's comments suggest ACM's larger mastheads such as the Newcastle Herald, Canberra Times and Illawarra Mercury are not at immediate risk, through rising costs would be another blow to a business reeling from a loss of revenue to social media platforms.
Mr Joyce said Facebook and Instagram had been "ripping advertising revenue out of areas".
"We've got to deal with this ... They've got too much power and they're taking too much advertising revenue and it's changing the complexion of how democracy works and it's got to stop."
Asked how Mr Morrison had responded, Mr Joyce said: "I'm just going to say we had a discussion about it, and it's not dismissed.
"We're very aware of this issue."
ACM received $10.46 million in 2020 under the $50 million Public Interest News Gathering scheme, which the government established to help regional publishers survive through the pandemic.
Former Hunter MP Joel Fitzgibbon said he backed the calls for emergency support for regional newspapers.
"Like the housing timber shortage, it's another crisis brought on by the government's failed forestry policies," he said.
"Now it may be necessary to directly support our regional newspapers."
The region's other MPs, Pat Conroy, Sharon Claydon and Meryl Swanson, said a Labor government would work with publishers on a response "before it's too late".
"Labor stands ready to work with the Liberal government to formulate a crisis response under caretaker conventions, because we can't afford to wait until the election," Ms Claydon said.
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