CPA says news bargaining scheme must support regional journalists

Country Press Australia has warned the federal government against diverting News Bargaining Incentive funds into a discretionary grants program, arguing the scheme must remain focused on supporting professional journalism.

CPA said it supported the core purpose of the proposed News Bargaining Incentive, which is designed to encourage major digital platforms to strike fair commercial agreements with eligible Australian news publishers.

The organisation said regional, rural and independent publishers had been among the most exposed to the market power of global digital platforms and needed meaningful support.

“Regional, rural and independent publishers have been among the most exposed to the market power of global digital platforms,” CPA said.

“They employ journalists, produce public interest journalism, serve local communities and carry the obligations of professional news publishing.”

CPA said it backed measures ensuring smaller publishers were not excluded from agreements while warning against any system favouring only major metropolitan media companies.

“The scheme should be designed to encourage fair dealing with genuine regional, rural and independent publishers that produce covered news content and employ professional journalists.”

However, CPA expressed concern about proposals that would redirect part of the levy collected under the NBI into a separate grants pool.

“The NBI is not intended to become a general media grants scheme,” CPA said.

“Its purpose is to incentivise commercial agreements between platforms and eligible news publishers.”

CPA argued that if platforms failed to enter enough commercial agreements and levy funds were collected, those funds should instead be returned directly to eligible publishers through a transparent distribution model linked to journalism and employment.

The organisation warned that diverting money into grants could change the perception and operation of the scheme.

“It could make the NBI look less like a bargaining incentive and more like a revenue-raising mechanism followed by government redistribution.”

CPA also raised concerns about delays, administration and uncertainty associated with grants programs, warning they could potentially direct money away from professional publishers employing journalists.

“If government wishes to support news deserts, emerging publishers, community media, multicultural media or underrepresented voices through grants, that should be done through a separate program and a separate appropriation,” CPA said.

CPA said the survival of regional and independent journalism depended on the NBI remaining tightly focused on supporting professional publishers and journalists producing public interest news.