Publications
Public Interest Publishers Index
The Public Interest Publishers Index (PIPI) is a database of Public Interest Publishers in Australia, meaning print and digital outlets that predominantly cover local news, court and crime news, and/or politics.
Please click here for further information.
Dickson G. 2025. Public Interest Publishers Index.
Q1
Jan-Mar
Q2
Apr-Jun
Q3
Jul-Sep
Q4
Oct-Dec
Local and Independent News Association
At the Local and Independent News Association my job is primarily in policy, rather than research, and as such most of the publications I help to produce are submissions.
Submissions
- May 2026: DITRDCA NBI Statutory Payment Scheme consultation.
- May 2026: Treasury NBI Charge consultation.
- December 2025: Treasury NBI consultation.
Other
Local and Independent News Association. 2025. Annual Membership Survey 2025. Melbourne: Local and Independent News Association.
Centre for Media Transition
As a Research Fellow at the Centre for Media Transition, University of Technology Sydney, I was involved in two major programs of work: the Regional News Media project, looking at the flow of information from the country into the cities, and the future of global professional standards and regulatory schemes.
Attard M., Dickson G., Jehangir A. and Newling N. 2024. Regional News Media. Sydney: Centre for Media Transition, University of Technology Sydney.
Attard M., Dickson G., Jehangir A. and Newling N. 2023. Regional News Media. Sydney: Centre for Media Transition, University of Technology Sydney.
Attard M., Dickson G. and Jehangir A. 2022. Regional News Media. Sydney: Centre for Media Transition, University of Technology Sydney.
I also contributed opinion pieces to the centre newsletter. An archive of my contributions can be found here.
Public Interest Journalism Initiative
Publications from my time as a researcher at the Public Interest Journalism Initiative (2019-2025). My work there involved original research, policy submissions, and a major ongoing project, the Australian News Data Project which included both monthly data exports and reports.
Research
Germano M., Dickson G. and Ferraz P. 2025. Local news coverage of Victorian council elections 2024. Melbourne: Public Interest Journalism Initiative.
Dickson G., Germano M., Des Preaux J., Ferraz P., Cohen I. and Wallace J. 2024. Court reporting in regional Australia. Melbourne: Public Interest Journalism Initiative.
Dickson G., Costa J., Germano M., Gattermayr S. and Des Preaux J. 2024. Australian News Sampling Project: 2023 Report. Melbourne: Public Interest Journalism Initiative.
Dickson G. 2021. A review of proposals to provide news organisations with access to tax deductible gifts in Australia. Melbourne: Public Interest Journalism Initiative.
Simons M., Dickson G. and Alembakis R. 2019. The nature of the editorial deficit. Melbourne: Public Interest Journalism Initiative.
Simons M. and Dickson G. 2019. Availability of local news and information. Melbourne: Public Interest Journalism Initiative.
Submissions
Misinformation
- October 2024: Senate Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation Bill
- August 2023: DITRDCA misinformation powers consultation
- November 2020: DIGI Australian Code on Disinformation
Media diversity
- March 2024: DITRDCA News Media Assistance Program consultation
- September 2023: Senate Murdoch Media Inquiry Bill
- March 2023: ACMA News Measurement Framework
- March 2022: House Regional Newspapers Inquiry
- February 2022: House Regional Newspapers Inquiry
- October 2021: Senate Media Diversity Inquiry
- January 2021: Senate Media Diversity Inquiry
Philanthropy
Freedom of information
News Media Bargaining Code
- October 2022: Treasury NMBC Review
- May 2022: Treasury NMBC Review
- January 2021: Senate NMBC Bill Inquiry
- August 2020: Treasury NMBC Bill exposure draft
- June 2020: ACCC NMBC concepts paper
- September 2019: ACCC Digital Platforms Inquiry final report
- February 2019: ACCC Digital Platforms Inquiry preliminary report
Press freedom
Other
Australian News Data Project
The Australian News Data Project (launched in April 2020 as the Australian Newsroom Mapping Project) was an effort to track information about the news sector. It was conducted between 2020 and 2024. The project included a monthly data export () and, from 2021, narrative reports covering changes observed in the marketplace, corrections made to the data, and quarterly trends ().
Presentations
Dickson G. 2024. Changing public interest journalism production in regional Australia. Presentation to the Journalism Education and Research Association of Australia Conference 2024. 27 November. Melbourne: University of Melbourne.
Other
Submissions
Dickson G., Jarvis H., Lim L., Murrell C. and Wake A. 2018. Submission to the review of Australian broadcasting services in the Asia Pacific. Melbourne: International Broadcasting Research Group.
Authored media
Draffin A., Dickson G. and Germano M. 2024. Meta’s lost revenue is a huge hit for public interest journalism, which was already reeling from cutbacks. The Conversation. 8 March.
Dickson G. 2020. Local news sources are closing across Australia. We are tracking the devastation (and some reasons for hope). The Conversation. 8 June.
Dickson G. and Simons M. 2020. Australian media’s fight for press freedom should be a lesson to journalists worldwide. Nieman Reports. 5 May.
Dickson G. and Simons M. 2019. WIN or lose for rural viewers? Inside Story. 21 June.