The federal government has unveiled changes to its News Bargaining Incentive (NBI), aimed at encouraging major digital platforms to financially support Australian news publishers. An RMIT expert says while smaller players will benefit, it does not go far enough in holding technology giants accountable or addressing AI’s growing impact on journalism.
Edward Hurcombe, School of Media & Communication:
“Narrowing potential taxable revenue to just local advertising, rather than all revenue earned in Australia, indicates the government is somewhat yielding to criticism from big tech.
“Big publishers such as News Corp have already criticised these concessions. However, there are also policy amendments that could potentially improve outcomes for smaller publishers and freelancers.
“By increasing the number of outlets that tech companies are required to make deals with, the policy incentivises big tech to support a broader range of publishers, rather than simply the biggest four.
“Similarly, the government has increased support for smaller publishers, by raising the offset from 170 per cent to 200 per cent.
“The government’s changes will also benefit freelancers, who play a significant role in Australia’s news industry, by including them in the definition of ‘journalist’.
“The inclusion of LinkedIn within the scope of the NBI also makes sense, considering the platform’s role in hosting and distributing news.
“These updates go some way towards aligning with the recommendations made by RMIT and the University of Canberra’s joint submission.
“Still, some of our recommendations – such as the inclusion of AI platforms – remain absent from the government’s updated NBI.”
Edward Hurcombe is a Senior Lecturer and ARC DECRA Fellow in the School of Media and Communication, RMIT.
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