Having cut the print editions of more than 100 regional and community newspapers last June, News Corp Australia is reported to be stopping distribution of eight more high-profile mastheads in remote Australia.
The ABC says the publisher has confirmed that it will no longer be sending copies of eight titles - among them national daily The Australian, and metros the Courier Mail and Daily Telegraph to areas west of Charters Towers, west of Emerald, and regional centres including Mount Isa and Longreach, from September.
The Cairns Post, Townsville Bulletin, (Toowomba) Chronicle, agricultural weekly the Weekly Times, and The Sportsman are also affected.
A statement to the ABC said News was "following our audience - and our advertisers - to where they consume news and information". News says the changes in western Queensland represent "about one per cent" of state newspaper sales, arguing that "the true value of a newspaper is in the news, not the paper it's printed on".
Federal member for Maranoa David Littleproud is among those not happy with the move, telling the ABC he will be speaking with News executive chairman Michael Miller about it.
News is in the process of closing its Murarrie print centre, moving production of most of these titles to Yandina (pictured) and Townsville, although GXpress understands that these arrangements have been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.