Greens call for amendments to News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens spokesperson for Media and Communications has announced today the Greens will be seeking amendments to the Treasury Laws Amendment (News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code) Bill 2020.
The Greens will be seeking amendments to the bill that:

1. require news organisations to spend the revenue from the Code on resourcing public interest journalism
2. require the 12 month review of the Code to report on the impact that the Code is having on small, independent and start up publications

In addition to these amendments, the Greens are calling on the Government to commit to establishing a permanent Public Interest News Gathering Trust, a proposal put forward in the recent Media Reform Green Paper.
“This Code is about supporting public interest journalism, an essential pillar of our democracy. The funds that news organisations receive through the Code should be directed to producing journalism and not lining shareholders pockets.
“Media diversity is essential for public interest journalism, the Code must cover all publishers that contribute to public interest journalism in Australia. We need a 12 month review of the Code that gives a clear picture of the impact this policy change will have on small, independent and start up news media publications.
“We cannot have media diversity in Australia without a news wire service. While funding received from the PING fund has supported AAP in the short-term, the long-term stability of the news wire is still at risk. To protect public interest journalism, the Government must step up and provide long-term funding for AAP to secure their future.
“The establishment of a permanent PING Trust would provide ongoing support for not only AAP but also other essential public interest news gathering organisations including small and independent publishers.”