Australian national broadcaster the ABC has told the Senate inquiry into media diversity it's not its job to deliver hyperlocal news.
While it provides a foundation for public interest journalism, it does not have the resources to tell all the nation's stories. "The ABC was not established to deliver hyperlocal news across Australia," it says, "...the province of the once profitable local newspaper sector.
"The ABC was aimed more at delivering national news to communities and helping local voices to be heard in their regions and in national debates."
The inquiry chaired by Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young follows the #MurdochRoyalCommission petition initiated by former prime minister Kevin Rudd, which attracted more than half a million signatures.
In its submission, the ABC says the closure of hundreds of newsrooms put a greater burden on the ABC producing community news, requiring it to place more reporters in outer suburban centres and remote areas. However, these efforts are made more difficult by repeated cuts by the Coalition government.