Thousands of Canberra university students and staff will gain access to the city's premier news source thanks to a new partnership between the University of Canberra and The Canberra Times.
The two organisations have signed a three-year digital news and civic engagement agreement, unlocking premium subscription access to The Canberra Times for all UC students and staff.
The partnership will also strengthen the university's journalism and communications schools, giving students priority access to newsroom internships, guest lectures from senior editorial staff and the establishment of a student journalism award.
University of Canberra vice-chancellor Bill Shorten said access to news and the ability to engage with trusted sources was critically important to students.
"We want our students and staff to have easy access to trusted, quality journalism. Through this partnership with The Canberra Times, UC students will be able to stay informed, broaden perspectives and engage with credible reporting on the issues that matter most.
"Good journalism doesn't just tell us what's happening. It helps us understand why it matters."
The university has been a leading voice about media literacy via its News and Media Research Centre, which produces the Heartbeat of Australia study, in partnership with ACM, and the Digital News Report: Australia.
That annual report on the digital media landscape charts the fast-changing relationship between Australians and online news, tying in with international research. It has found resounding evidence that access to relevant news strengthens individual and community wellbeing.
University of Canberra researcher professor Sora Park said: "In an age where misinformation proliferates online, especially on social media and AI platforms, the need for audiences to have access to trustworthy news sources is more important than ever.
"Our research shows that gaining a habit of accessing trustworthy news sources improves people's ability to discern and verify misinformation."
The Canberra Times managing editor John-Paul Moloney said the organisations had shared values that were never more important than now.
"We're excited about this partnership because it puts real news in the hands of young consumers, who have been consistently let down by the social media giants pretending to serve their interests," Mr Moloney said.
"Just this week we've seen the federal government having to go to extraordinary lengths to curb the rapacity of these companies and their algorithms.
"We hope that by giving free access to news that has been expertly created and curated we are building on what's already being taught at our universities - critical thinking, evaluation of sources and a sense of connection within flesh-and-blood communities."
The university is entering an ambitious phase with increasing enrolments and a recent proposal to merge with the Canberra Institute of Technology.
It will hold its Open Day Fest on Saturday from 10am to 3pm, which Mr Shorten has pitched as a chance for the wider community to join prospective students in getting to know the university.
Highlights of the open day include a performance at 12.30pm by rock band The Rubens, a woodchopping exhibition, children's activities and a range of food and drink. Free shuttle buses will run to Floriade, which also opens on Saturday.
