Fifty-two news publishers and independent journalists will be awarded AU$5M in funding from the Meta Australian News Fund, in the latest round of a AUD$15M three-year investment in partnership with the Walkley Foundation, and Gold Coast's Nevertheless Journal is among them.

Now in its second year, the fund program has so far supported more than 100 eligible Australian-based newsrooms and journalists to foster innovation and improve public interest journalism in Australia.

This year’s successful recipients represent a diverse set of digital-first publications, and publishers that cater to underrepresented audiences such as culturally diverse, LGBTQI+, First Nation peoples, gender diverse, regional, rural, and economically disadvantaged communities and journalists working with a disability. The Walkley Foundation managed the judging process independently of Meta.

Among the 52 recipients are five organisations specialising in Indigenous Affairs, two projects focused on LGBTQI+ audiences, two science-focused publications, three that cover issues related to women and one that will place a journalist working with a disability in Parliament House, Canberra.

During 2022 Blank established a new masthead, Nevertheless Journal with the goal of expanding our audience nationally and using our internal resources and skills to build an additional revenue stream to sustain and support our independent media business.

Now that we have established the magazine, we are currently working on issue two of Nevertheless to be published in February, with another twoissues planned for 2023. With the launch issue receiving significant support locally and throughout South East Queensland, we now need to focus on further nurturing and growing our audience outside of our localised networks to ensure that we reach new audiences to strengthen our long-term viability.

Content produced as part of this project will predominately be published with Nevertheless, but where relevant will also be cross-purposed and published with Blank Street Press as well. The project will publish a series of Remarkable Stories - up to twelve public interest items about women and those who identify as non-binary, with a focus on rural coverage, youth, family violence and social justice, gender parity and cultural diversity.

Nevertheless Journal and Blank's Managing Editor Natalie O'Driscoll said the grant will make a huge difference to the organisation.

"We can now work towards achieveing some of the original outcomes we first dreamed up when we started Nevertheless," she said.

"Expansion to rural and regional areas across Australia has always been the plan, as well as growing our digital presence, and getting the stories of these extraordinary yet every day women out to as many Australians as possible!

"We couldn't be more excited to jump in headfirst and make it all happen."

Andrew Hunter, Media Partnerships lead for Meta Australia said:

“After a successful first year, it’s great to see such a range of important and interesting projects focusing on diverse audiences – including those in rural and regional areas – securing funding in 2023.”

“A new Indigenous youth news channel in language, the digitisation of LGBTQI+ masthead Star Observer’s photo archives, and a series exploring social issues in flood-affected Gympie are just some of the projects that have been awarded funding in this year’s second round. Through this fund and the thoroughness of the Walkley Foundation and its judges we will not only see these important stories emerge, but also a new set of digital transformation projects from news organisations across Australia,” Hunter added.

The Meta Australian News Fund is divided into two funds, the Digital Innovation Fund and the Public Interest Journalism Fund. Both are administered through our ongoing partnership with the Walkley
Foundation, which nominated an independent external judging committee to review applications against the funds’ eligibility criteria, which included whether or not the project contributed to the news
organisation’s long-term viability or provided a public benefit.

Visit neverthelessjournal.com.au for more.