AUSTRALIA’S largest association of independent newspapers has supported calls for the Australian Electoral Commission to review a number of online publications allegedly funded by Climate 200 supporters.


While awaiting the AEC’s findings on this case, Country Press Australia (CPA) President, Andrew Schreyer said it served as a timely warning about the increased risk of politically-funded propaganda being passed off as independent news in the upcoming Federal election campaign.


He said the AEC had an excellent record of strictly monitoring and regulating political advertising, but now there was a new threat where fake ‘news’ sites could become a loophole for political advertising donations to be redirected to fund ‘journalism’ that mainly produced political propaganda.


Mr Schreyer said there were concerns from the organisation’s more than 240-strong membership the level of trust readers had for local papers was being compromised, following the recent emergence of a number of online publications produced by Gazette News.


He said claims by Gazette News to be committed to providing high-quality local journalism to communities where local news has declined or disappeared, were both misleading and wrong, given there were dozens of independently owned mastheads that had existed in many cases for more than 150 years in some of the same areas where Gazette News now operates.


“It’s all too easy now to set up a ‘news’ website that publishes political propaganda dressed up as journalism and amplified through social media campaigns,” Mr Schreyer said.


“Such sites are a threat to the integrity of our political advertising regulations and to the public trust in truly independent news publishers who are reporting objectively and holding the powerful to account.


“Most of our Country Press Australia member newspapers have news websites and a history dating back well over 100 years.


“In addition, many local radio and television services across rural and regional Australia have a proud history of supporting and serving local communities.


“Independently owned place based public interest journalism providers such as our member newspapers work hard to earn the respect and trust of the communities they serve.”


Mr Schreyer said it could take years to earn that trust, but it can also be easily put at risk by entities whose actions could undermine what local papers had fought so hard for and for so long.


“Our members produce balanced and accurate journalism underpinned by the integrity and respect they share for the community,” he said.


“We are concerned the actions of this single organisation could undermine the respect readers have for authentic public interest journalism.”


It has been revealed the three major funders of Gazette News have also donated more than $1.7m to environmental lobby group Climate 200 and associated candidates, according to AEC disclosures.


“The revelation that Gazette News online publications are funded by top teal donors damages the reputation of independent regional, rural and local mastheads,” Mr Schreyer said.


“Consumers of content produced by Gazette News publications need to be made aware of their funding sources and view their content through that lens.


“Balanced, independent and professionally produced public interest journalism such as that produced by our members is the democratic infrastructure that holds communities together.”


Mr Schreyer said as members of the Australian Press Council, CPA publications were required to abide by a code of ethics that stressed the importance of fairness and balance in their reporting and for journalists to not be influenced by outside influences or organisations.


Mr Schreyer welcomed Nationals leader, David Littleproud’s intervention in this matter and thanked him for his strong representation of local, rural and regional newspapers and the work they do in thousands of local communities across the nation.


“We also welcome calls by Shadow Finance Minister, Jane Hume, for an investigation by the AEC into the origins and foundations of these digital publications and hope for a speedy resolution to this matter given the upcoming federal election,” he said.


Andrew Schreyer is also the general manager of the Warragul and Drouin Gazette.


In a media statement, Mr Littleproud advised the Federal Opposition had lodged a formal complaint with the Australian Electoral Commission and said the Teals’ ‘fake online news site’, funded by Teal donors, was extremely misleading to local communities and harmful to regional Australian media organisations.


He said it was disappointing the Teals had launched online ‘Gazette News’ in a bid to deceive residents where Teals were taking on The Nationals MPs and candidates.


It comes amid revelations Gazette’s three major funders, who are based in Sydney, have donated more than $1.7m to Climate 200 and associated candidates.


The outlet includes coverage of its Climate 200-backed Independents.


“Regional media outlets and newspapers are the backbone of our regional communities,” Mr Littleproud said.


“The Teals lectured us about integrity in politics in the 2022 campaign, so why not just be honest with people, that this is just another form of political party advertising?


“The Melbourne millionaires running the Teal Party are taking country people for mugs, but they do not understand that’s not how we do things in regional Australia.


“A key funder of Gazette News falsely claims the outlet provides journalism to communities where local news has ‘declined or disappeared’.


“This just happens to be in their target seats.”


Mr Littleproud also raised the fact that regional papers relied on advertising, not Facebook, to survive.


“If the Teals are so desperate to spread their message, why are they shunning our local journalists?” he said.


“The Teals turning their backs on regional media outlets is also the Teals turning their backs on the local community, to boost their own self-made stories.”