By Barbara Heggen
It is no secret that the media landscape is a tough one to navigate these days. We see the big players shrinking, local newsrooms vanishing, and the stories that matter to everyday people often getting lost in the noise of the 24-hour news cycle. But here in Melbourne’s inner west, we are bucking the trend.
As we look back on the 2024–2025 financial year, it’s clear that community journalism isn’t just surviving; it is evolving. And frankly, looking at what we have achieved together over the last 12 months, I’d argue it’s thriving.
Recently, we marked a massive milestone for us: we celebrated our 100th edition. That is one hundred times we have gone to print, one hundred times we have collated the voices of Footscray, Yarraville, Sunshine, and beyond, and put them into your hands. Reaching triple digits is a testament to the tenacity of our team and the hunger this community has for local stories.
But the numbers tell an even bigger story than just longevity.
Our print reach grew to approximately 97,000 readers, a figure that includes our dedicated political supplement. That is nearly one hundred thousand people engaging with hyper-local news. In the digital space, we’ve seen 129,000 page views from 69,000 active users, proving that whether you prefer ink on your fingers or scrolling on your phone, the appetite for Westside stories is undeniably strong.
Behind these numbers is an army of passionate locals. We are powered by 200 writers and 200 radio volunteers. Think about that for a moment. Four hundred people giving up their time, unpaid, simply because they believe in the importance of documenting life in the west. To our 747 subscribers who keep the lights on—thank you. You are the backbone of independent media.
This year wasn’t just about looking inward; it was about taking the West to the world. We presented at the World Journalism Education Congress (WJEC) in San Francisco, showcasing our collaboration with RMIT. It is a point of immense pride that stories fostered right here have gone on to win multiple Ossie Awards, recognising the highest standards of student journalism.
We have also solidified our place in the academic world, with an article published in the Journal of Alternative & Community Media. This validates what we have always known: that the “Westsider model” works and is worth studying.
Closer to home, we expanded our voice into the airwaves by launching Westsider Radio at Kindred Studios. If you haven’t tuned in yet, look forward to the unpolished, and utterly authentic sounds of your neighbourhood. We also took a leadership role in the sector, co-hosting and presenting at the Local Independent News Association (LINA) 2025 summit, ensuring that community media has a seat at the table when national policies are discussed.
Community engagement remained at the core of everything we did. We delivered podcast workshops funded by Volunteering Victoria, empowering more locals to tell their own stories. We hosted a “Westie-themed” food writing panel at the Williamstown Literary Festival, celebrating the culinary diversity that defines our suburbs.
We also didn’t shy away from the hard stuff. Our editorial shared at the Techno Park public meeting was a crucial moment of advocacy, standing with residents facing uncertainty. And in a nod to the quality of our reporting, our political supplement was nominated for an international student journalism award.
When I look at this list of achievements, what strikes me isn’t just the volume of work, but the spirit behind it. We are a paper built on donation dollars—$755 of them this year which we very much need to increase —and massive amounts of goodwill.
As we move into the next year, the mission remains the same. We will keep asking the questions that big networks ignore. We will keep celebrating the small wins that make our suburbs home. And we will keep printing, broadcasting, and publishing, because the West deserves a voice that is as loud, diverse, and resilient as its people.
Here is to the next 100 editions.
