Facebook successor Meta will help pay for more than 50 regional journalists in a deal with national broadcaster the ABC under Australia’s news media bargaining code.

The deal with Meta follows one last month with Google, which managing director David Anderson says will see the ABC’s content appear on Google News Showcase over a period of years. The ABC was honouring its pledge to plough back extra funds from these deals into regional services and journalism, “the areas that we believe need it most”.

Following the Meta agreement, more than 50 journalists will be recruited by early 2022 to report from over 20 regional locations. They will cover new specialist rounds including water, mining, social affairs and health, and will be located across all states and the Northern Territory. Larger patches –among them Horsham, Burnie, Dubbo, Wagga Wagga, Katherine, Esperance, Karratha, Longreach and Toowoomba – will get more support, while smaller bureau are to be trialled in Warragul, Batemans Bay, Carnarvon, Hervey Bay and Charleville, and individual journalists stationed in Swan Hill, Whyalla, Victor Harbor, Northam and Gladstone. 

More remote locations will also see ABC journalists embedded there for a shorter period of time.

"We want to provide greater coverage of regional stories in areas that are under-served by the media," Anderson said. "Extra regional services are a great way to start 2022, our ninetieth year.

Pictured: ABC Capricornia journalist Meg Bolton