About SuburbStory: Bringing Essential Local News Back to Australia's Communities

At SuburbStory, we believe strong communities need strong local news. But across Australia, many towns are becoming "news deserts" – places left without their own dedicated local reporting.

Research from the Public Interest Journalism Initiative (PIJI) shows how serious this is. Since 2019, Australia has seen nearly 500 changes in its news landscape, with 327 news outlets shrinking or closing down. That's a net loss of 156 outlets in just five years, leaving many areas, especially in regional Australia, without vital local information. In fact, PIJI's 2023 data found 29 local government areas (LGAs) now have no local print or digital news at all.

Why does this matter for our democracy?

When local news disappears:

• Accountability suffers: Who's watching local councils and institutions? Studies from the University of Canberra's News and Media Research Centre (NMRC) show that in communities where news closed, two-thirds (67%) of residents felt less informed about their area.
• Communities weaken: Local news connects people. Losing it means less shared information and a weaker sense of belonging for many.
• Misinformation can thrive: Without trusted local sources, people might turn to unverified information online. The NMRC's 2024 report even found 59% of Australians are uncomfortable with AI-generated news if they don't know where it's coming from.

SuburbStory is here to change that by focusing on essential local information that is often underserved. We are not competing with human journalists or existing newsrooms. Instead, we're building a network of local news sites using advanced AI to cover:

• Community Notices: Council meeting agendas, development applications, road closures, local event listings, and public health alerts.
• Local Government Updates: Summaries of council decisions and policy changes that directly affect residents.
• Public Service Information: Details on local services, infrastructure projects, and community resources.
• Areas with no news presence: Our primary goal is to fill the void in those 29 LGAs and other underserved regions that are true "news deserts."

Our AI-driven approach delivers timely, relevant stories directly to the communities that need them most. We believe technology can help us bring this vital information back, building more informed and connected communities across Australia by covering the types of news that are frequently neglected due to resource constraints in traditional journalism.

We're committed to trustworthy reporting and clear use of AI. We believe technology can help us bring local news back, building more informed and connected communities across Australia.

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