Public Interest Journalism Initiative

Funding area: Public debate

The Public Interest Journalism Initiative (PIJI) is a specialist think tank researching how Australia can secure the future of public interest journalism. PIJI’s work informs practical policy solutions and public conversation on the importance of an effective, pluralistic news media of all sizes. PIJI is a limited shelf-life initiative, scheduled to cease operation in 2023 in line with achieving its intended impact.

Visit website: piji.com.au

Grants

2021 Signature Grant, $40,000

Core funding

Established in 2018, the Public Interest Journalism Initiative (PIJI) works to inform practical policy solutions and public conversation on the importance of an effective, pluralistic news media of all sizes.

Mannifera funding is supporting PIJI to build a complete baseline picture of public interest journalism production and ownership in this country. Such a database is not currently available.

This data, in combination with PIJI’s existing Australian Newsroom Mapping Project, will provide a more detailed picture of the changing nature of news production, media ownership and the influence of global trends on the Australian landscape. Assessment can be made on the state of community coverage and whether it is sufficient for a working democracy.