The deal was reached on Wednesday after editorial staff at the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian Financial Review, Brisbane Times and WA Today stopped work for five days.

Further industrial action has been put on hold, the media union confirmed.

Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) acting director Michelle Rae said members had taken a stand to protect journalism.

“It’s clear from the massive public support for the journalists while they were on strike that readers want access to quality journalism and the boards of media companies need to find a new business model,” she said.

“It is disappointing that it took a strike to focus management on coming to the table with an improved offer.

“This could have been avoided if Nine’s managers had listened to the concerns raised by union representatives over many meetings.”

The journalists will receive an 11.5 per cent pay bump over three years.

The company committed to ethical use of artificial intelligence, a fair deal for freelancers and pledged to report on diversity in the workplace, according to the MEAA.

A spokesperson from Nine said the company was pleased to confirm the in-principle agreement with the union.

“The new deal provides certainty for the business and our people as we continue to produce world-class journalism for our readers,” a statement read.

“We welcomed the MEAA’s decision today to resume negotiations, which supported a swift resolution of the outstanding issues.”

The offer will be put to a formal vote before it is submitted to the Fair Work Commission for approval.