Today, over 70 regional news publications represented by Country Press Australia reached a deal to join Google News Showcase. This deal will allow the publishers to be fairly compensated for their content by terms that they negotiated with the dominant tech platform. These small papers were able to have bargaining power to negotiate in good faith because of the ACCC’s News Media Bargaining Code, mandating that dominant platforms fairly negotiate with and compensate news publishers for use of their content. The ACCC authorized Country Press to negotiate collectively last month, with the looming threat of arbitration. This landmark deal—benefitting small, local publications—shows the Code is working for publishers who need it most. Read more here.
Natalie Seales is a First Amendment Law and Policy Fellow at the News Media Alliance.
