The Federal Government must act urgently to support small Australian news outlets that could be shut out of commercial deals with Facebook and Google under its News Media Bargaining Code, says the union for Australia’s journalists.
The prosecution of a Queensland journalist for refusing to reveal a confidential source highlights the urgent need for the Palaszczuk government to follow through on an election promise to introduce a journalist “shield” law.
Facebook’s move to block sharing of content from Australian news media outlets will encourage the spread of misinformation at a time when factual and credible journalism is more important than ever.
Content deals reportedly struck between major publishers and Google in recent days should not deter Federal Parliament from passing News Media Bargaining Code laws this week, says the union for Australia’s journalists.
This statement has been issued by MEAA’s Media section to coincide with a global union day of action to protest the February 1 coup in Myanmar:
