I became a journalist because I believe that people should have access to reliable, factual information.
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Working in regional Australia, I see firsthand the importance of trusted news sources in our communities - especially as these sources become scarce.
As part of ACM's Young & Regional series on social media, I decided to dive into the growing issue of misinformation in regional areas.
I put a call out on Facebook, hoping to find someone willing to speak with me about their experience. What I got was a stark reminder of the issue we're facing.
Within minutes, comments began to pour in.
"Everyone ... RUN!"
"Do not engage with this unless you want to be part of actually spreading misinformation."
"The government is weaponising misinformation to help push their agendas."
It didn't stop there.
Some accused me of bias, of having an agenda simply because I mentioned young people in my post.
Others took the opportunity to declare that a net zero emissions goal was an "idiotic dream," to assert the pandemic was a lie, or to drag in geopolitical issues like the war in Gaza.
The thread quickly spiralled, accumulating over 50 comments, each more conspiratorial or inflammatory than the last.
Just a few days later the moderator of the Central West NSW group where I posted put out an announcement: the group was pausing all posts.
The reason? A lack of respect for other people's views, decency, and community spirit.
This is the reality we're living in now. As regional news outlets shrink, the vacuum is quickly being filled by social media, where misinformation spreads like wildfire.
Are you living in a news desert?
As I dug deeper into the issue, the numbers painted a grim picture.
Gary Dickson from the Public Interest Journalism Initiative is mapping the decline of news outlets, uncovering information wastelands where local news once thrived.
Since 2019, 357 news outlets have closed their doors, with regional areas bearing the brunt.
"Regional Australia is disproportionately impacted, with around two-thirds of observed market changes occurring in regional areas," Mr Dickson said.
Even though 180 new outlets have sprung up, it's still a net loss of 177 - the equivalent of almost three news outlets disappearing each month.
The lack of local news in regional areas has seen an increase in social media campaigns in spaces like the renewable energy debate, such as pages promoting "reckless renewables" or "radioactive racism".
Simon Chambers from Western Sydney University is researching this, and his early findings show with fewer local news outlets in regional areas, hyper-local interest groups have formed.
"Disinformation campaigns can take off and become quite viral in those environments where there are fewer authoritative voices in the community," Mr Chambers said.
Overseas, we've seen the impact of such environments. A fatal stabbing of three children at a dance workshop in the regional UK town of Southport triggered violent riots across the country.
The violence was fueled by misinformation circulating on social media, including false claims about the suspect's identity, religion, and immigration status, linked to a website that falsely named the 17-year-old charged over the attack.
Thrive not survive
But it's not all bad news. In some areas, independent online and print news outlets are emerging to fill the void, like the Local Ipswich News in Queensland and The Gwydir News in northern NSW.
Another publication, Gazette News, recently announced its hope of tackling misinformation in the regions.
Though the website is still in development, editorial director Brad Esposito is clear about their mission.
"We see a need for a robust local news industry because it holds local power to account, combats misinformation, tells important local stories, binds the community together, and keeps people informed about the issues that affect them," Mr Espostio said.
"Around the country, we've seen media outlets downsize or just close outright, and our mission is to serve local communities with free, high-quality reporting on the platforms they are already using."
Despite some expansions in the industry, not all new outlets have the resources to cover important civic news, such as courts, council and investigations.
As major digital platforms like Meta withdraw their financial support for news in Australia, Caroline Fisher, author of the 2024 Digital News Report, says regional journalism needs more assistance.
"To ensure that local public interest journalism thrives rather than simply survives, governments need to provide direct and indirect assistance," Ms Fisher said.
"There are many areas of Australia where this basic accountability journalism isn't occurring, which weakens local democracy."
An uncertain future
An inquiry into the influence of social media in Australia is underway, looking into misinformation, algorithms and Meta's decision to abandon deals under the News Media Bargaining Code.
This decision has significantly impacted regional news. Media companies-including ACM, the publisher of this masthead, have urged the federal government to reconsider its reduced advertising spend in regional publications and to address Meta's withdrawal through the code.
One potential solution lies in establishing a non-profit journalism sector in Australia.
According to the Public Interest Journalism Initiative, turning news outlets into registered charities could offer them vital tax exemptions and attract donations, providing a new revenue stream as traditional sources dry up.
In a report for the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Hanna Kayhko says some news outlets in the US, such as The Salt Lake Tribune and Philadelphia Inquirer, are testing it out.
"Where local newspapers have withered away and created news deserts, some are experimenting with the creation of media outlets as non-profit entities that can seek donations and grants," Ms Kayhko said.
The Productivity Commission's report on an inquiry into philanthropy, released in July, considered the cause for non-profit journalism but found a broader review would be necessary to classify journalism in such a way.
When I first arrived in Orange, NSW, as a cadet journalist earlier this year, the Central Western Daily was a bustling little newsroom of six journalists.
Seven months later, our team was cut in half - a direct impact of Meta's decisions.
The newsroom, once filled with clattering keyboards and the buzz of phone conversations, can often be a little quiet.
But this isn't just an Orange story - it's happening all across regional Australia.
Newsrooms are shrinking, and in some places, they're vanishing entirely, leaving behind news deserts where misinformation can spread unchecked, and stories are left untold.
Despite this, those of us who remain are as committed as ever to keeping our communities informed and connected.
Grace's story
I started deleting social media periodically when I was 15, frustrated by its addictive nature and concerned about wasting precious moments of my life.
My social pages went blank, and I hoped to disconnect for good, but group chats, event invites and curiosity always led me back to the app store.
For many regional Australians, though, social media isn't just a distraction or a social outlet - it's a necessity.
In towns with no local news source, it's often the only way to stay informed.
This drove me to explore how social media is filling the void left by shrinking news outlets and how these news deserts are contributing to the spread of misinformation in regional Australia.
