Australian Associated Press (AAP) and The Balnaves Foundation are proud to announce a new partnership supporting specialised arts journalism at the nation’s only independent newswire service.
A $450,000 grant will support the arts desk, led by dedicated arts reporter Liz Hobday, for three years, enhancing AAP’s capacity to deliver comprehensive and insightful arts journalism across Australia.
Supporting arts journalism is crucial for fostering a vibrant cultural landscape and bringing attention to an industry that underscores and enriches our daily lives, from visual arts exhibitions and live performances of dance, music, opera and drama to books, film and television, streaming services and podcasts.
Journalism that covers these artistic and cultural pursuits is vital to the national conversation, it is equally important to fairly and factually explain and probe policy decisions that impact the sector, from employment to infrastructure developments.
There is a serious lack of coverage of the arts in the nation’s media – in particular, in regional and rural communities – but all Australians should be part of the conversation.
As Australia’s only independent newswire service, the articles published by AAP are shared with over 300 Australian news outlets, ensuring wide coverage of the issues that matter.
Over the past few years, coverage of the arts in Australian media has dwindled, and this vibrant and crucial industry has been diminished in the agenda. Increasing the volume of arts journalism is crucial, especially as the arts sector is still recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a severe lack of arts education in schools, with many young people not experiencing regular and sustained creative experiences.
Hamish Balnaves, CEO of The Balnaves Foundation, said: “It has been disappointing to see the significant reduction in arts journalists by many Australian mastheads in recent years.
The arts are often maligned as elitist and inaccessible, yet they are a vital part of our culture and everyday life. The Balnaves Foundation’s support for the arts desk at the Australian Associated Press will help ensure reporting across all aspects of the arts are available to the Australian public, across a wide and diverse range of local, state and national media.”
With the Australian government’s National Cultural Policy, Revive, still in early stages, there has never been a more crucial time for public awareness to be drawn to the full spectrum of the arts, and quality journalism plays an important role in amplifying this. This new partnership allows the AAP’s specialised arts desk to deliver insightful and comprehensive coverage, ensuring that the arts remain at the forefront of public discourse.
AAP CEO Lisa Davies said she was delighted The Balnaves Foundation had put its considerable reputation for arts philanthropy behind the newswire’s arts coverage.
“Australians connect through arts and culture, it’s core to our national identity – whether it’s watching a newly-released drama on a streaming platform, putting an album on in the car, going to an exhibition or the opera, watching a star-studded musical or a community play – we can’t get enough,” she said. “We are committed to dedicating reporting and photographic resources to cover the arts, ensuring AAP’s vast national network can keep their audiences well informed and entertained.”
About AAP
For almost 90 years, AAP has been an integral part of the Australian media landscape, providing independent journalism via the national newswire to hundreds of domestic and international newspapers, digital news sites, radio and television news outlets.
In 2020, AAP was restructured as a not-for-profit charity and it is now entirely independent and focused on informing, educating and empowering all Australians with factual, fair and unbiased reporting.
About The Balnaves Foundation
The Balnaves Foundation is a private philanthropic organisation established in 2006 by Neil Balnaves AO. Dispersing $5 million annually to eligible organisations that aim to create a better Australia through education, medicine and the arts with a focus on young people, the disadvantaged and Indigenous Australia.
