Tasmanian government paid news site $35,000 for budget ‘digital takeover’
The state government paid $35,000 to a digital news website to boost its coverage of the May state budget, it has been revealed.
The state government paid $35,000 to a digital news website to boost its coverage of the May state budget, it has been revealed.
Documents released under Right to Information laws reveal the Office of Premier and Cabinet agreeing to pay a 24-hour “full digital takeover” of the Pulse Tasmania website.
The document titled “Tasmanian Government Budget 25/26 Promotion” shows a package produced by Pulse which promises “maximum brand dominance with a 100 per cent share-of-voice and click through to your website”.
The package also includes “social advertorials” through Pulse’s social media pages that are “carefully crafted from your brief and have full final client approval”.
The “Climb” package selected by the government included an eight-day “full digital takeover” and one social advertorial.
The package came with a cost of $35,261.
The government also provided the website with two exclusive stories about the budget.
“Hey mate, exclusive one for you to run from midnight tonight,” said one email from a senior media adviser, with a media release attached.
Some of the coverage revealed that it had been produced “in partnership with Tas Gov” and carried the words “Pulse advertorial” in small lettering.
The May budget, handed down by then-Treasurer Guy Barnett, did not pass state parliament.
When contacted by the Mercury, a government spokesperson said that the package represented “outstanding value”.
“Tasmanians have a right to be informed about how the budget delivered record investment in health, education, housing, and community safety,” they stated.
Pulse Media has also been the recipient of government small business grant funding, totalling $9678.10.
Pulse founder Josh Agnew did not respond to requests for comment.
Start-up online publisher Thought Digest Media has revealed it received a defamation concerns notice from Pulse over a story entitled “Controlled | Tasmania’s Conservative Media Monopoly”.
“After analysing their posts, TDMG has observed that Pulse Tasmania’s election coverage showed potential patterns that aligned with Liberal messaging,” TDM founder Heath Clark wrote in the original story.
Pulse Tasmania’s concerns notice threatened potential “further action for defamation”.
“No opportunity for right of reply was provided prior to publication,” Mr Agnew wrote in an email to Mr Clark, since published on the TDM website.
“As a result, the article contains multiple factual inaccuracies, omissions and misleading statements that unfairly impugn the professionalism, impartiality and integrity of Pulse and our staff.”
