A diverse media landscape is critical for democracy.
This can’t be achieved without local, independent and emerging newsrooms.
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To Minister Anika Wells, Senator Sarah Henderson and Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.
Having access to reliable, fact-based independent news and information is critical for a strong democracy.
But approximately 120 newsrooms across the country have closed their doors in the past 5 years alone, because of social media giants taking audiences and advertising revenue away from journalism, and pocketing the profits.
The News Bargaining Incentive (NBI) and Statutory Payments Scheme (SPS) are urgently needed first steps towards rebuilding public interest journalism in Australia, and we congratulate the government on these initiatives.
But there are some issues with the way the government is proposing this should work.
Right now, your proposed legislation for the NBI and SPS means that small and medium-sized newsrooms won’t stand to benefit as they should. This means local, independent and emerging newsrooms will be under critical threat.
That’s why we’re calling on you to fix the draft legislation for the NBI and SPS, so that important small and medium sized newsrooms can reap the benefits too.
Having a diverse media landscape is crucial for democracy. This can’t be achieved without local, independent and emerging newsrooms.
They must be included in the NBI and SPS, so that they too are protected from the impacts of these profit-driven social media giants.
Signed by,
Democracy Counts
Digital Rights Watch
Alliance for Journalists' Freedom
School News Project
Sortition Foundation
Community Broadcasting Association of Australia
Sign the open letter
Giant social media companies are damaging journalism in Australia and local, community newsrooms are the worst hit.
Around 120 newsrooms across the country have closed their doors in the past 5 years alone. This leaves local communities without a reliable, fact-based, flow of independent information.
This is largely because social media companies have taken their audience and advertising revenue – and they’re not reinvesting that revenue back into journalism. These foreign and unaccountable entities are pocketing the revenue.
This is a serious threat to our democracy.
Which is why it’s crucial to get the News Bargaining Incentive and associated Statutory Payments Scheme right.
The Albanese Government is planning to introduce the News Bargaining Incentive (a tax offset to encourage digital and social platforms to pay Australian newsrooms for their content) and the Statutory Payments Scheme (a levy on those platforms that don’t form commercial partnerships, with money to be shared with Australian news media)
It will help to rebuild public interest journalism in Australia - which is desperately needed.
But the plan urgently needs tweaking.
As it stands, small and emerging newsrooms will likely miss out on a fair share of funding from this levy. Without access to this funding, these newsrooms will continue closing down, leaving communities without independent, local information.
That's why we've written this open letter to the Minister for Communications Anika Wells, Shadow Minister for Communications and Digital Safety Senator Sarah Henderson, and Greens Spokesperson for Communications Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, calling on them to ensure funding from the News Bargaining Incentive and Statutory Payments Scheme is available to small and medium sized newsrooms.
Because a diverse media landscape is critical for democracy – and this can’t be achieved without local, independent and emerging newsrooms.
Will you sign the open letter too?
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