Date Time
Facebook and Google monies must go to newsrooms, not boardrooms
Media companies negotiating commercial deals with Facebook and Google for the payment of news content must ensure that the monies generated are allocated to journalism.
The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance says the deals under negotiation will provide a welcome new revenue stream for Australian media, but they will be pointless if the funds from the digital giants are not reinvested in the production of news content.
The union is also calling for targeted assistance to any small, independent, regional, community or freelance media organisations that are unable to access funding either through negotiation or the News Media Bargaining Code. This must also be extended to AAP.
Australia s world-first media bargaining code that will force online powerhouses including Facebook and Google to pay for displaying news content has passed the Senate.
Hanson-Young and MEAA call for visibility of Facebook and Google payments
February 24, 2021 2:07
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has issued amendments to the News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code that would see media businesses obliged to provide reporting on the impact of funding from digital platforms.
“For the purposes of monitoring the benefits to public interest journalism in Australia from the operation of this code, a registered news business corporation, for a registered news business must, at the end of each financial year, prepare and give to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) a report relating to the financial year that complies with the requirements in this section.”
Australia: Facebook re-friends Australian news but doubts remain 24 February 2021
Australia: Facebook re-friends Australian news but doubts remain
Facebook announced it would reverse its decision to block Australian news from the platform after a breakthrough in negotiations with Australia’s government over its proposed News Media Bargaining Code. The IFJ and its Australian affiliate the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) welcome the outcome, but remain concerned at the failure of the code to support smaller media organisations and freelancers. Facebook warning of restricted content. Credit: Facebook
After almost a week of a Facebook-imposed block against Australian audiences in both accessing and sharing Australian news content on the platform, Facebook said on February 23 that it would reopen access. It comes after ongoing negotiations between Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, and Australia’s treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, that saw a number of amendments to the cod