Hope 103.2 has ceased its Hope News service, after financial pressures required the organisation to adjust its strategic priorities.
Established in November 2019, just prior to the Covid pandemic, Hope News was created to provide local, national and international stories with a Christian worldview.
The Hope News team (pictured main), across the five years were News Director Anita Savage who had worked for the ABC, Nine, SKY News, 2UE, 2CH and as the first international anchor on Bloomberg Television in New York. Journalists Sarah Wiedersehn who was formerly with Southern Cross Ten in Canberra, 2GB and the Australian Associated Press (AAP), and then cadet journalist Jefferson Shaw. There were half hourly bulletins in breakfast, and then hourly across the rest of the work day.
Hope CEO Phillip Randall said:
“This is a deeply painful decision.
Hope News has been delivered by an exceptional team of journalists who have served our audience faithfully, ethically and with great heart. We are incredibly grateful for their work and the contribution they have made to our ministry and to Australian media.
The decision follows several years of intense economic pressure affecting the broader charity and media sector. Despite extensive efforts to secure sustainable funding through sponsorship and supporter income, the cost of delivering the news service in the current economic environment is no longer viable without placing ongoing strain on the ministry.
We have prayerfully explored and exhausted all reasonable options, and we have delayed this decision as long as we responsibly could.
Ultimately, we must steward the ministry in a way that ensures its long-term strength and ability to serve listeners with hope.”
Phillip added that when he joined Hope in 2000 one of his long term goals was to establish a news service that elevated Christian voices, a goal that took 19 years to come to fruition.
Anita Savage said:
“Supporters of Hope News understood the need for balance and the quest for truth over sensationalism. The team at Hope News was dedicated to bringing the latest news in a way that would inform but not alarm. We worked under constant deadlines and pressure, sifting through copious amounts of information, to bring our listeners news they could trust.
Hope News was unique in providing relevant Christian voices speaking to the news of the day, as well as bringing our audiences stories that impacted them that other news outlets didn’t cover. It was only Hope News that covered a Productivity Commission hearing into Special Religious Education in schools, the debate on allowing euthanasia in residential aged care facilities in NSW and the impact on residents and staff, balanced coverage of legislation impacting the hiring and firing of people at faith-based institutions, the Sydney and National prayer breakfasts, and issues impacting the freedoms of people of faith. We held our political leaders to account and asked the questions others didn’t. To NSW Premier Chris Minns: if legislation to stamp out conversion therapy also meant people could be prosecuted for praying with or for someone who’s same sex attracted (He said they wouldn’t be). To Sydney’s Lord Mayor, where the “Christ” was in her Christmas decorations in the city.
We are so thankful for the supporters who prayed for us daily and understood the importance of being informed and engaging in the wider world. Thank you.”
Was this offered as a News Service to others (like AIR News)? Is that possible? There are small operators looking for decent content out here. I only just found out about this!
The article is clear evidence of what we know is true, because they quite blatantly just said it. The news is biased. It is laced and loaded with the agendas of the people producing and presenting it. Whether it is praying about interest rates, barracking for one political party over another or something to do with recruiting people into gay conversion therapy, I'm over it. I don't like the news. Please allow me to say it, it's about time they all just shut up.