The Public Interest Journalism Initiative (PIJI) welcomes the final final report of the ACCC Inquiry into Digital Platforms, as an important document that puts a stake in the ground in the battle to sustain public interest journalism.

‘The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has clarified the meaning of public interest journalism[1], validated its vital role and quantified its disturbing decline in Australia.[2]’ PIJI Board Member Dr Margaret Simons, Associate Professor of Journalism at Monash University says.

‘It shows beyond doubt that public interest journalism is in crisis and in need of intervention to protect it.

‘However, we think that the dismissal the option of tax offsets for public interest journalism is premature and requires further research before it is ruled out.’ Dr Simons says.

The report argued it would be too difficult to ensure extra journalists employed would be working on public interest journalism, unlike tax offsets in the film industry, which are project specific.

‘We see no reason why public interest journalism could not also be judged on a project by project basis,’ Dr Simons says.

PIJI welcomes many of the ACCC recommendations that include:
•    A $50 million annual program of direct grants to support local public interest journalism
•    Amended tax settings to encourage philanthropic support for journalism with a new category for Deductible Gift Recipient status for journalism
•     A government funded program to improve digital media literacy in schools and the community
•    The ACCC to investigate and enforce issues in markets in which digital platforms operate
•    A mandatory Australian Communications and Media Authority code for the take-down of content that infringes copyright
•    Designated digital platforms (e.g. Facebook, Google) to provide codes of conduct governing relationships between digital platforms and media businesses to the ACMA
•    A new, platform neutral media regulatory framework to include digital platforms and news media outlets
•    Stable and adequate funding for the ABC and SBS