For almost 90 years, the Australian Associated Press (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.
The Balnaves Foundation is proud to be supporting the Australian Associated Press’s specialised arts desk, led by dedicated arts reporter Liz Hobday, at a time where coverage of arts issues and arts journalism is on the decline in 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.
As a newswire, articles published by the AAP are shared with over 300 Australian media outlets, ensuring widespread coverage of the issues that matter. As the arts sector struggles to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and there continues to be a lack of access to arts education in schools, including coverage of the arts and culture industries in the media ensures these issues remain on the national agenda.
In 2023, the AAP’s arts desk produced in excess of 500 stories – each article republished by between 80-110 websites nationwide, as well as in newspapers and broadcast channels. 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.”
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, its 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.”
This three year grant allows the AAP’s specialised arts desk to deliver insightful and comprehensive coverage, ensuring that the arts remain at the forefront of public discourse.