Federal Budget - AAP gets another $15 million from Canberra

Chris Pash
By Chris Pash | 12 May 2021
 

The federal government is granting $15 million to the AAP (Australian Associated Press) over two years. 

The national newswire is now running as a not-for-profit, after being dropped by owners Nine and News Corp in March last year which said the AAP could no longer compete with free information on the internet.

AAP provides content to hundreds of newspapers, websites, TV and radio stations.

The first payment of $7.5 million will be paid before June 30.

This is the second round of money from the federal government. In September last year AAP received $5 million from the Public Interest News Gathering (PING) program.

"Most people only know AAP as a small acronym beneath a photo or beside an article, but without the newswire there would be a significant void in Australia's news offering," says AAP CEO Emma Cowdroy.

“In the context of AAP’s exclusion from the Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code, this grant will help underpin the AAP newswire on its path to sustainability.

"The AAP newswire is an essential part of our democratic infrastructure. Supporting the national newswire means supporting the industry as a whole."

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