A broad range of organisations interested in sustaining quality journalism have welcomed the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill and its potential to level the relationship between news outlets and tech platforms, while calling for several key measures to ensure that the Bill is as effective as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A discussion covering the benefits the Bill will have for news organisations took place yesterday with contributions from ITN chief executive Rachel Corp, News Media Association chief executive Owen Meredith and Public Interest News Foundation executive director Jonathan Heawood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Andy Carter MP, chair of the Media APPG, sponsored the event looking at the specific benefits that the bill can bring to producers of trusted journalism. Others on the panel included Chris Jenkins, Competition and Markets Authority director, the former No 10 economist Matthew Sinclair, and Tom Smith from Geradin Partners. Alex Davies-Jones MP, Labour Shadow Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy, was also in attendance to voice her support for the landmark legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ofcom and the CMA have already jointly concluded that CMA Conduct Requirements could include measures to support negotiations for a fair value exchange between news providers and platforms. Platforms argue that news content brings them little value, so are lobbying against the Bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the panellists stressed that the new law makes commercial sense for all parties, ensuring only that platforms negotiate fair terms. If they believe they bring more value to publishers than vice versa, they could simply back the legislation and negotiate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rachel Corp said: “ITN strongly supports the introduction of this Bill. High quality journalism providers need a fair, and competitive commercial environment, with algorithmic transparency and meaningful negotiations with the global tech platforms. Our audiences expect trusted and impartial information to be available on these platforms and to sustain this we need the ability to secure fair and reasonable payments recognising the value of the journalism we invest in so heavily.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Agreeing that the NMA strongly supported the Bill, Owen Meredith added: \u201cThe value of news content to the platforms is far greater than economic value, as it also drives user engagement, frequency of visits, and quality controls through search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAlthough platforms are able to monetise plenty of other content that doesn\u2019t contain news content \u2013 news content is monetised by the platforms in a different way. There is no recognition or reward flowing back to the original creators and that is why we need the legislation. The CMA needs these powers to be able to act fast.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jonathan Heawood added his support and outlined the importance of specialist publications to platforms as they give them the ability to \u201cserve up hyper relevant content to users around the world and that\u2019s what platforms thrive on\u201d. He also welcomed the Bill\u2019s potential for publishers to collectively bargain with platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last week, Google announced it will remove news links from its search results in Canada when a law that will require it to negotiate deals with news publishers takes effect. Alex Davies-Jones criticised the move, saying it would deny \u201ccitizens\u2019 access to reliable information to avoid payment so as only to emphasise the primacy that these firms place on profit, rather than citizens\u2019 interests.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She said that \u201cthe government cannot give in to similar threats here in the UK and not be swayed by big tech.\u201d She added: \u201cPlatforms need to compensate publishers fairly, rather than harm the UK\u2019s access to trusted news.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n