Government Excludes News Corp From Media Grants
Department officials confirm that foreign-owned news organisations are ineligible for the Journalism Assistance Fund.
Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in Media
Live Poll
Should the government restrict journalism grants based on the ownership structure of the media company?
The Albanese government has excluded News Corp from the $67 million Journalism Assistance Fund. Officials confirmed the decision is due to the company being foreign-owned.
Why it matters
The fund is designed to subsidise journalist wages across Australia, but strict eligibility criteria prevent foreign-owned entities and public broadcasters from participating. This exclusion highlights the government's specific conditions for granting financial support to private media organisations.
The $67 million Journalism Assistance Fund currently subsidises wages for more than 2,000 journalists at 185 news titles. Nine Network has received $16.1 million across two separate grants from the programme.
The players
News Corp
A global mass media and publishing company that was excluded from the government grant scheme due to its foreign ownership status.
Nine Network
A major Australian commercial television network that received $16.1 million in funding across two grants.
ABC
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation is the national public broadcaster and is excluded from the fund because it receives other public funding.
SBS
The Special Broadcasting Service is a public service broadcaster that is ineligible for the grant fund due to its existing public funding arrangements.
The details
During recent Senate Estimates, department officials clarified that while the News Bargaining Incentive Statutory Payment Scheme remains open to companies regardless of ownership, foreign-owned entities such as News Corp and The Guardian Australia do not qualify for the grant scheme. Furthermore, the ABC and SBS are excluded from the fund as they receive alternative sources of public funding.
Timeline
27 October 2026: Senate Estimates hearing occurred.
Market Landscape
The government differentiates between the restricted Journalism Assistance Fund and the broad News Bargaining Incentive Statutory Payment Scheme, which remains accessible to companies regardless of their foreign ownership status. This distinction creates varied financial landscapes for domestic versus foreign-owned media competitors.
The exclusion of certain media giants from wage subsidies does not immediately change subscription prices or service access for the average news reader. However, it signals a shift in which news organisations receive government financial support to maintain their reporting staffs.
The takeaway
Understanding media ownership rules is essential for followers of industry policy as government funding becomes increasingly targeted. Readers should be aware that public and foreign-owned outlets operate under different financial models than domestically owned commercial titles.
Further reading
For more context on the current media environment, visit Australia Media.
Live Poll
Should the government restrict journalism grants based on the ownership structure of the media company?
