Report into tech giants welcomed by Australian media body

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) final report into digital platform services has been welcomed by Country Press Australia (CPA) as a landmark moment. CPA president Andrew Schreyer said the report acknowledges the difficulties faced by regional and local news publishers in the digital age and validates the long-held concerns of independent publishers. He said it highlights how global tech giants leverage their market dominance to control access, valuation, and monetisation of journalism in Australia, which ultimately harms local news. “This report confirms what our members have experienced for a long time,” Mr Schreyer said. “Local and regional publishers continue to face deeply entrenched power imbalances in their dealings with the major digital platforms. “This has real consequences for the sustainability of journalism in our communities.” Mr Schreyer urged the Federal Government to swiftly implement the News Bargaining Incentive legislation. He said this is particularly given Meta’s refusal to renew publisher deals since withdrawing from news arrangements last year. “Meta has walked away from compensating publishers entirely, and others like TikTok have never come to the table at all,” Mr Schreyer said. “The incentive legislation is essential to ensure that all major platforms are required to contribute to the journalism they benefit from, either by negotiating in good faith or by making a fair payment.” He stressed the importance of directing public funding for journalism, such as the News Media Assistance Program (NewsMAP), towards publishers actively producing local public interest journalism. “Funding should go to the journalists and newsrooms who are on the ground covering councils, courts, community stories and local sport,” Mr Schreyer said. “These are the voices that hold local institutions to account and help communities stay connected. “They need direct and meaningful support.” The ACCC report also addresses broader threats to journalism. These include limited dispute resolution options for small publishers, harmful practices by dominant platforms, and the increasing use of AI tools that potentially devalue or displace credible news. “We support stronger platform obligations to prevent scams and fake reviews, and we also support enforceable transparency requirements that ensure fair treatment of news content,” Mr Schreyer said. “We need to see the major platforms treated as gatekeepers with clear responsibilities when it comes to how news is ranked, labelled and monetised. “We urge the government to consider the rise of AI and its use of publishers’ content and the need for publishers to be fairly compensated for this as part of the News Bargaining Incentive framework.” The rise of AI-generated content and misinformation on social media underscores the need for Australians to recognise credible journalism. “Improving digital literacy must be a national priority,” Mr Schreyer said. “Australians need the tools to distinguish fact-based journalism from misinformation, especially in an environment where AI and algorithms are shaping so much of what people see.” CPA represents nearly 240 independently owned newspapers serving regional, rural, and suburban communities nationwide. These publishers are integral to their communities and continue providing vital public interest journalism in an increasingly disrupted media landscape. Mr Schreyer, also publisher of the Warragul and Drouin Gazette, urged the government to act on the ACCC report’s recommendations. “We strongly support the ACCC’s push for a new digital competition regime and external dispute resolution so our members can operate on a level playing field,” he said. “Our regional, rural and local news outlets are the backbone of Australia’s democracy and they must be supported through practical reforms and fairer digital market conditions.”

Report into tech giants welcomed by Australian media body

Holiday changes to Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support services

State-wide alcohol and other drugs strategy launched

More voting options for next state election

Roads, jobs and tax relief on city's agenda

Net zero repeal would hit regions the hardest: Haines

Rufous Whistler – arrival of a summer songbird

Bombers go back-to-back in A grade

“No stone unturned” – Police committed to the long-haul in manhunt

Start your engines, Wilby Drags are back

Most popular stories