News bulletin cuts 'canary in the coal mine' for regional journalism

The future of regional journalism in Australia is under threat following drastic downsizing of NBN News, one of the country's oldest nightly news bulletins, media academics warn.

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This decision is a canary in the coal mine when it comes to what is happening to mainstream journalism.

NBN News, a staple for audiences in the Hunter Valley for over 50 years and Northern NSW for more than 30, will see its weeknight one-hour bulletin cut to 30 minutes and moved to 5:30 p.m., effective June 27. Additionally, its highest-rated weekend bulletins have been canceled entirely.

Catharine Lumby, a Professor of Media at the University of Sydney, described the decision as a "canary in the coal mine" for mainstream journalism. She expressed horror at the cuts, emphasizing the potential demise of local journalism. The changes, implemented after WIN Corporation purchased NBN News from Nine for nearly $15 million, are expected to impact staff, though the exact number of job losses remains unclear.

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You cannot take away those weekend bulletins and reduce the amount of production you're doing. You're going from an hour bulletin to half an hour, and you can't do that without job losses.

Television industry commentator Rob McKnight believes job losses are inevitable, stating, "You cannot take away those weekend bulletins and reduce the amount of production you're doing... You're going from an hour bulletin to half an hour, and you can't do that without job losses." He added that the shift to a pre-recorded format, rather than live broadcasts, signifies a backward step for news reporting.

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The changes to our weeknight bulletins are designed to deliver more local content, more local stories and a stronger connection to the communities we serve across Northern New South Wales.

WIN Network CEO Andrew Lancaster stated the changes are designed to "deliver more local content, more local stories and a stronger connection to the communities we serve." However, former NBN News anchor Ray Dinneen, who hosted the program for 35 years, expressed concern that pre-recorded bulletins leave little room for breaking news, effectively moving the deadline significantly earlier and compromising the immediacy of news delivery.

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It means that your deadline is moved back; we used to be able to slot things into the [bulletin] at the last second or even during the news. I think it's not news in that sense because it's all pre-recorded … I think that's a backwards step.