A Senate committee has recommended Treasury undertake a cost-benefit analysis of making news subscriptions tax deductible for all Australians.
The non-government dominated Future of Public Interest Journalism Committee's report was released on Monday following an inquiry last year.
Ensuring the ABC and SBS are adequately funded to support rural and regional services, as well as promoting a strong fact-checking capacity was one of the report's eight recommendations.
The report also called for a review of defamation laws through the Council of Australian Governments.
The review would look at reforms which would promote the balance between public-interest journalism and protection of individuals from reputational harm.
Liberal senators James Paterson and Jonathon Duniam accused Labor and the Greens of "grandstanding" during the inquiry.
They believe the government's media reform package, which include allowing a proprietor to control more than two out of three platforms in one licensed market, has done more to support journalism than most of the recommendations.
"Coalition senators find it difficult to take many of the concerns expressed by Labor and Greens Senators regarding public interest journalism seriously," they said in additional comments included in the report.
The government senators were open to a recommendation to encourage not-for-profit journalism through the tax system, while noting commercial outlets were the mainstay of Australian journalism.
They agreed an Australia Law Reform Commission audit into laws which impact journalism was a worthy proposal.
