The Australia Letter is a weekly newsletter from our Australia bureau. This week’s issue is written by Isabella Kwai, a reporter with the Australia bureau.

The Australian Associated Press said this week that it will be closing its doors in June, ending an 85-year history in which the national news organization became known for fair coverage and its fast response to breaking news.

In a country that already has one of the most concentrated media markets in the world, where partisan agendas often blur the line between opinion and news, news of the closure was yet another blow to transparency and accountability.

The A.A.P., founded in 1935 by Rupert Murdoch’s father, Keith Murdoch, and co-owned by News Corp Australia, Nine Entertainment and Seven West Media, provided a service similar to international wire services like The Associated Press and Reuters — except it was exceedingly local.

Its journalists file hundreds of stories a day on breaking news, sports and politics, allowing subscribers to republish the content on their own platforms.