Photo Caption: Federal Member for Parkes and Minister for Regional Communications Mark Coulton has announced that the Warren Weekly will receive $10,000 from the Government’s Public Interest News Gathering (PING) program to continue to provide local news.

The future is bright for the Warren Weekly newspaper, which has successfully received a $10,000 boost from the Federal Coalition Government to ensure its sustainability during challenging times for the business.

Federal Member for Parkes and Minister for Regional Communications Mark Coulton said he was thrilled that the newspaper would receive essential funds from the Government’s Public Interest News Gathering (PING) program to continue to provide local news.

“This grant will keep local journalists in jobs and ensure quality reporting continues to be available in the Warren district,” Mr Coulton said.

“Congratulations to the Warren Weekly team on your success, with this week’s edition the first to be produced with new technology purchased using the grant.

“It’s been a challenging time for news outlets right around my electorate, due to the drought and now COVID-19, so I know these funds are a real lifeline for the Warren Weekly team.

“It is so important our country communities remain informed and connected. The Warren Weekly is a vital source of news for people in the district, which is why I’m so proud that the Coalition Government is providing this critical support.”

Warren Weekly Co-Editor Ros Jackson said the PING grant ensured the newspaper could continue through difficult times.

“As a small business operating on very tight margins, we simply did not have the capital to purchase the updated technology that we needed,” Ms Jackson said.

“Without the assistance of the PING program, we would have simply been unable to continue to produce our newspaper.

“This grant allowed us to buy new computer equipment and receive training on the latest software, which meant we could keep producing local news.

“We greatly appreciate the support of the Federal Coalition Government and our local member Mark Coulton, who has always been very supportive of our paper and is a long-term subscriber.”

Funds are flowing to 107 regional news outlets across the country as part of the $50 million PING program, providing much needed support to regional television, newspaper and radio outlets during COVID-19.

For details of successful recipients, visit www.grants.gov.au