Google and Facebook’s recent agreements with publishers in Australia come at the back of the Australian government’s News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code. Under the law, platform companies would have to pay Australian publishers and broadcasters for news content. Should platforms and publishers fail at individual or collective negotiations, a government-appointed arbitrator will decide on the payment amount.
While the news media bargaining code has been lauded as a positive move to level the playing field between platforms and news publishers, there are concerns over its impact on journalism, online discourse and the open architecture of the Internet, as well as its efficacy in reviving a waning media industry. As Australia plans to review the code within one year of its commencement, other jurisdictions like France and Canada have either implemented or are considering similar legislations.
This event brings together news practitioners, academics, policymakers, and representatives from tech platforms to discuss the implications of legislating commercial payment from tech platforms to news publishers for journalism and online discourse, the impact on media start-ups and independent news publishers, and if there are alternative models that are more sustainable and equitable for platforms and publishers.