Kristy Hess is a Professor (Communication) at Deakin University and is the lead Chief Investigator on this ARC Linkage project. Her research focuses on the future of local media and its relationship to community, democracy and social order in the digital environment. She is especially interested in the important role local newspapers play in the media landscape, having begun her career as a journalist in regional Australia. Kristy hopes this project will provide a voice for audiences, proprietors, journalists, advertisers and sources of news in guiding media innovation and help independent newspapers build strong collaborations
for a sustainable future.