If you have ever wondered why some media outlets are overly supportive of the Albanese government’s agenda, it may have something to do with the government’s $74 million Journalism Assistance Fund (JAF), which subsidises the wages of more than 2,000 journalists at 185 media organisations. The JAF is a key part of the federal government’s broader News Media Assistance Program, which was announced in 2024. The grants subsidise part of the cost of employing full-time journalists, providing up to $13,000 per journalist each year, or $39,000 over the three-year life of the program.