WASHINGTON, DC – The Center for News, Technology and Innovation (CNTI) released a comprehensive framework for examining recent legislative efforts to financially support the news industry and journalism. The report, titled “Enabling a Sustainable News Environment: A Framework for Media Finance Legislation,” provides a new approach to evaluating enacted or proposed media remuneration policies from around the world.

The digital era has disrupted the traditional business models of journalism with many news organizations facing significantly decreased revenue alongside continued newsroom layoffs and emerging news deserts. In response, global policymakers have proposed and implemented various measures to provide financial support to the industry. 

“Revenue streams are crucial for journalistic reporting to thrive, and these legislative efforts recognize the importance of journalism to functioning societies, which is good to see. At the same time, a sustainable news ecosystem requires broader thinking,” said Amy Mitchell, Executive Director for the Center for News, Technology and Innovation. “CNTI’s framework analyzes these types of legislation to help find the best way to ensure a future where journalism can serve the public effectively.”

CNTI’s latest analysis reviews 23 legislative proposals affecting more than 30 countries, first grouping them into seven legislative models which bring to light the serious questions at hand about what a sustainable news media means and will look like in the years to come: 

• Ancillary copyright around content
• Required negotiation with businesses
• Local usage fee around link distribution
• Platform support for news organizations
• Government tax credits
• Third-party government grants
• Hazard tax by government upon platforms

CNTI then uses this framework to explore potential impacts on key aspects of a sustainable news ecosystem. Among the key conclusions:

• Appropriate Compensation: It is important to address parameters around the use and sharing of digital content, but the way this legislation has begun to define it is problematic. These policies presume a specific threshold for appropriate compensation but disagree on where that threshold lies, creating challenges due to the variety of ways digital content is accessed and shared. This includes disagreements about whether basic digital interaction amounts to usage; inconsistent handling and application of how digital elements such as URLs/links and small “snippets” of content should be addressed; and a disconnect regarding the exact beneficiaries of this proposed digital usage. Additionally, there is no consideration of how parameters would be applied beyond the scope of news and technology platforms.
• Diversity: Digital content creation has opened new avenues for small, independent, creative, and/or minority-focused journalism, but a piecemeal approach to supporting journalistic diversity in these policies risks taking steps backwards in this regard. Some legislative models favor larger organizations while others have limited references to minority ethnic media, and only two speak directly about future innovation.
• Independence: In the global context of declining revenues and press freedoms, some policies raise concerns about journalistic independence from government and technology. While much of this legislation aims to reduce news organizations’ dependence on tech companies, its effectiveness is uncertain and could increase that dependence in other ways.
• Public Service: This legislation does not fully consider how the public stays informed and the kinds of journalism it values. While they aim to provide revenue streams for journalistic content, they may not effectively serve the public if the content is not accessed or valued, while also raising concerns about public data and privacy.

The question the report then poses is what is the best way towards full sustainability? CNTI does not lobby or propose specific legislation and instead is dedicated to helping surface these answers through further research and collaborative, multi-stakeholder discussions. Some recommended next steps include taking a more deliberative and comprehensive approach to the legal parameters for digital usage and access to content; considering what combination of policies may need to advance simultaneously in order to create the strongest mix of safeguards possible; and applying a comparative analysis of legal definitions and the obligations of journalism to other journalism-related policies, such as artificial intelligence.  

“In working towards a fully sustainable news ecosystem, CNTI’s core mission is to facilitate informed policy deliberations that safeguard an independent, diverse news media and public access to a plurality of fact-based news,” Mitchell adds. “By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of current legislation, policymakers can develop more effective and equitable policies to support the future of journalism. We hope this analysis encourages deep and deliberative discussions about the best policy options, and CNTI looks forward to helping facilitate those in the weeks and months to come.” 

Read the full report here.

About This Research: In working towards a fully sustainable news ecosystem, CNTI’s core mission is to facilitate informed policy deliberations that safeguard an independent, diverse news media and public access to a plurality of fact-based news. To that end, we hope this examination of 23 recently enacted or proposed legislative efforts from 2018 through 2024 offers a fulsome method for analyzing possible paths forward. As with all CNTI research, this report was prepared by the research and professional staff of CNTI.

About the Center for News, Technology and Innovation: The Center for News, Technology & Innovation (CNTI), an independent global policy research center, seeks to encourage independent, sustainable media, maintain an open internet and foster informed public policy conversations. CNTI’s cross-industry convenings espouse evidence-based, thoughtful but challenging conversations about the issue at hand, with an eye toward feasible steps forward. The Center for News, Technology & Innovation is a project of the Foundation for Technology, News & Public Affairs. Learn more at https://innovating.news/. 

Contact: press@innovating.news