AUSTRALIA’S largest organisation of newspaper publishers has attacked the announcement by Meta that it will no longer negotiate deals with publishers once current agreements expire.
Country Press Australia represents more than 230 regional, rural and outer-suburban publications across the nation.
Meta advised CPA by email on Friday afternoon that “our company priorities have substantially shifted in the past year and, as a result, we will no longer be making Facebook News Tab available in Australia”.
Meta also confirmed “this doesn’t affect our agreement with Country Press Australia which will continue in accordance with its terms and conditions until it expires”.
In a meeting later on Friday between CPA and Meta it was made clear that CPA’s agreement with Meta would not be renewed.
This is a devastating blow to CPA members who are party to the agreement. All are publishers of regional and local public-interest journalism.
Meta has been providing grants to CPA publishers, which has provided vital sustainability.
There will be publishers who close the doors and won’t be able to continue supporting their communities with news in the wake of this announcement. These regional and local publishers are the major, and in most cases sole, providers of local public-interest journalism in their communities.
In times of trouble and in emergency situations, such as during floods and in major bushfire events, the local publisher’s Facebook page is never more important or appreciated by people in our communities.
Meta’s actions undermine our democracy in the way the company displays such disdain for the work of the news industry. It also undermines public confidence in the media sector.
The most popular Facebook pages in most regional and rural communities are those of the local news publishing company, yet Meta says people don’t go to Facebook for news or political content.
What about in times of bushfire and floods, or when the chips are down and someone in the community needs help? Local experience would suggest otherwise.
If, by Meta’s own admission, Australians don’t go to Facebook for news or political content, then the Federal Government should heed the advice of Meta and immediately cease advertising on Meta’s platforms.
Sadly, jobs will definitely be lost as a result of Meta’s decision, but it’s hard to put a number on this.
A series of sequential and overlapping shocks have hit the regional and local news industry, including the move of advertising to digital and social media, the decline in print advertising and Federal Government advertisement spend, increased costs (accelerated during the pandemic), the advent of generative AI and now Meta declaring it will no longer pay for the use of news media content.
The reaction from our members in the aftermath of Friday’s announcement has been one of deep concern, alarm and even anger.
The Federal Government must act to give assurance to our industry and to support the democratic infrastructure that is the newspaper industry. And it needs to move swiftly, decisively and with purpose.
We need government to support the news industry and invoke the news media bargaining code.
Our government must also do what it can to assure Australians that the government values the news industry’s role in our democracy to mitigate disruptions to the news industry.
Facebook reaped the benefits of our members’ unique local content for many years, has paid those regional and local publishers for only the past three years, and will now not renew its agreement with CPA.
A democracy cannot function without a healthy news sector, and this is now heavily at risk in regional and local communities after Meta’s decision.
It is important that the Federal Government responds swiftly to this decision and considers all possible action under the news media bargaining code and other options available to it and the ACCC.
It is vital that news media is adequately compensated for the content that Facebook has been able to use to build its business over many years and ensure a strong and robust news media industry, which is vital for a healthy democracy.
It is also vital that the Federal Government ensures strong support of the industry now more than ever and ensures the News Media Assistance Program is finalised urgently.
* Andrew Schreyer is the president of Country Press Australia, and publisher of The Warragul and Drouin Gazette.
