JOINT MEDIA STATEMENT
Government takes action to support local, independent Australian news and journalism
● A coalition of small, independent media supports the Government’s NBI proposal
● We welcome greater recognition of small, independent publishers who serve regional and diverse communities.
● Further changes are required to ensure the NBI achieves its full potential
A coalition of small, independent, multicultural, First Nations and regional news publishers has welcomed the Government’s proposal to introduce the News Bargaining Incentive (NBI), commending the Government for listening to industry feedback during the consultation period and taking real steps to support the sustainability of Australian news and journalism.
As organisations committed to keeping communities informed through reliable, relevant and trusted news services, we welcome the Government’s commitment to address disruption in the information ecosystem caused by digital platforms. The action taken by the Government to introduce the NBI is critical for a strong and sustainable news media sector, and the regional, culturally diverse and other communities they serve.
Changes announced by the Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Communications on Monday recognise that the news and journalism ecosystem depends on the small, independent and diverse publishers who serve regional and diverse communities.
We welcome the increased incentive loading for smaller media outlets from 170 per cent to 200 per cent.
We welcome moves to increase the distribution scheme loading for regional‑based journalists, small to medium-sized publishers and media servicing underrepresented communities.
We welcome the broader definition of journalists to include freelancers and other essential news roles.
We particularly welcome the Government’s adoption of an industry proposal for a dedicated grant program to distribute a proportion of the revenue to small publishers.
The proposed grant program will include media organisations under the $150,000 revenue threshold as beneficiaries of a grant program.
It is vital for fair competition, news diversity, and a functioning democracy, that small players – operating in small or niche markets, as well as start-up media organisations – are not excluded entirely from the NBI.
The changes announced demonstrate the Government understands the value small and diverse media organisations create in underserved and underrepresented communities across Australia, and the vital role they play in addressing news deserts.
To ensure the NBI achieves its full potential, we recommend four adjustments to the legislation when it is introduced to Parliament next week:
1. The Incentive requires at least 25% of all deals be made with small and medium publishers (revenue under $50M).
2. The proportion of levy revenue allocated to the grant program be increased from 5 to 15 per cent. A larger allocation is needed to meaningfully support small publishers and to ensure the fund can deliver lasting impact for Australian news media diversity.
3. The eligibility criteria for the grant program be expanded to include media organisations with annual revenue over $150,000 annual turnover.
4. The grant program prioritise funding to smaller organisations that do not benefit from deals or employment-based distributions.
As few as six of the largest Australian news publishers could benefit from deals with digital platforms under the NBI. If foreign tech platforms elect to pay a levy, revenue will be distributed to Australian news organisations on their headcount of staff under eligible news roles and the proposed grant program.
Many small and medium publishers above the current threshold of $150,000 revenue lack the scale or resourcing to compete for commercial deals under the NBI, and many retain a low staff headcount. These organisations risk being excluded from financial benefit under NBI dealmaking and revenue distribution as well as the grant program. If the gap in the proposed legislation is not addressed by adopting the recommendations above, Government grant opportunities such as the News Innovation Fund under the News Media Assistance Program (News MAP) will need to be extended to the media organisations that miss out to ensure they are not unfairly disadvantaged.
Increasing the amount of revenue allocated to a grant program – and expanding eligibility – will ensure all organisations, no matter their size and organisational structure, will have a fair opportunity to compete for funding to cover underrepresented news from communities across Australia.
We look forward to continuing to work constructively with the Government to strengthen the legislation to ensure the NBI delivers a diverse, competitive and sustainable news media market for all Australians.
Signed by:
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Media contact:
Reece Kinnane, Head of Advocacy and Communications, CBAA
[email protected] | +61 420 525 526