- Posted on 12 Feb 2026
- 5 mins read
Our latest research explores alternative funding models beyond the News Media Bargaining Code to support public interest news and democracy and the ‘back-end’ of direct news funding interventions: structures for making funding decisions, transparency measures and what recipients have to do to confirm funds were spent as intended.
Finding a way forward for Australian news
In 2024, we commissioned Julie Eisenberg, a consultant who has worked in senior legal and policy roles including with news media, to look into two other approaches of supporting Australian news. The first – an industry levy – is an idea we raised back in the development of the NMBC in 2020. The second – provisions to ensure continued presence and accessibility for news content or services such as a must-carry rule – has been raised more recently in industry discussions over the future of the NMBC. Both were addressed in the Second Interim Report of the Joint Select Committee on social media and Australia Society.
Our report looks in detail at local and international examples of levies and must-carry type rules. Julie has identified a number of design elements that would need to be considered if developing one or both of these mechanisms for the Australian environment. This is likely to be as a package of measures and could exist as additions to the NMBC, rather than as a complete replacement.
Read the report:
download Finding a way forward for Australian News_Spreads view.pdf
download Finding a way forward for Australian News_Pages view.pdf
Funding the Way Forward: A Review of Local and International News Funding Mechanisms
In 2026, The CMT published a follow-up report on the mechanisms for distributing funding for public interest news. Funding the Way Forward: A Review of Local and International News Funding Mechanisms looks at the ‘back-end’ of direct news funding interventions: structures for making funding decisions, transparency measures and what recipients have to do to confirm funds were spent as intended. It also examines how different schemes ensure that news content is free of influence from the funder.
While not advocating for any particular solution, the CMT report brings together information that is often fragmented and sometimes not in English to identify key themes which run through or distinguish different interventions. All of these interventions have elements which could, if needed, be adapted for the Australian context.
Current policy consultations offer an opportunity for the Australian government to think about how current funding distribution mechanisms will serve us in the future. The goal must be a funding system that is practical and supportive for all stakeholders, including government, the news industry and the digital platforms being asked to contribute. Most importantly, the system that emerges must serve the public and, in turn, our democracy.
The Centre also made a submission to the Australian Government’s News Bargaining Incentive consultation, which included a pre-print of this report, informing the submission’s recommendations on governance, transparency, and fund administration.
Read the report:
download Funding the way forward for Australian News_Spread view.pdf
download Funding the way forward for Australian News_Single-page view.pdf