Labor will match a $10 million Coalition rescue package to help save regional newspapers from extinction.
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The future of a host of titles was thrown into doubt last week, after revelations newsprint costs were set to skyrocket by 80 per cent from July 1.
The Coalition on Sunday revealed it would offer a $10 million package to avert closures in the short-term, and pledged further work on the sector's sustainability after the election.
After Labor leader Anthony Albanese flagged an intention to protect regional mastheads last week, a party spokesman on Monday confirmed it would match the Coalition's commitment.
"Around Australia, regional and community media publishers and broadcasters face great uncertainty as a result of Scott Morrison's failure to provide policy coherence or a stable set of measures to support the local media that millions of Australians rely on," he said.
"An Albanese Labor Government will deliver a support package to help the media through the transition from a decade of Liberal National government mismanagement to a principled-based and evidence-informed approach under Labor, including funding to address the newsprint crisis."
Speaking in Nowra on Monday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned the newsprint price hike would have "driven regional newspapers out of businesses" without government intervention.
"The Communications Minister [Paul Fletcher] worked with the industry to ensure that we can provide that support to keep the regional print titles in place, and I'm pleased we're able to do that," he said.
"Regional print media, and indeed broadcast, plays an important role in local communities. It shouldn't just be the ABC.
"I think it's important there are other commercial opportunities and voices out there providing regional news right across Australia."
While the looming cost hike prompted immediate support for print mastheads, Mr Morrison confirmed the Coalition would also review anti-siphoning laws after the election, with spectrum fees "under consideration".
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ACM, owner of this masthead, has sounded the alarm over the newsprint increase, which it warned could see a host of its publications go under as early as next month.
Pressed on the issue last week, Mr Albanese warned the the demise of regional newspapers would be a "massive loss" to the communities they served.
The Labor leader said he was "very sympathetic" over the pressures regional media faced.
"I would take a constructive role on any of those issues ... I would be prepared to sit down," he said.
"I believe that they play an important role, and it's legitimate to make sure that happens."
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce voiced his concern over the hike, which he warned would have a serious impact on rural media.
The federal government's package will also include up to $2 million to fast-track analysis on a replacement for the coal-fired boiler at Norske Skog's Boyer Mill in Tasmania, Australia's last remaining newspaper-grade paper producer.