The federal government has established a Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society to conduct an inquiry into the “influence and impacts of social media on Australia society”.

The terms of reference include:

• • the important role of Australian journalism, news and public interest media in countering mis and disinformation on digital platforms; and
  • the decision of Meta to abandon deals under the News Media Bargaining Code.

The Public Interest Journalism Initiative supports the Select Committee’s recognition of public interest journalism’s role in the important debate over the impact of social media on Australian society and looks forward to assisting the Joint Select Committee with research and insights from PIJI’s ongoing work.

“Public interest journalism is one of our society’s strongest defences against misinformation and disinformation, ” says PIJI CEO Anna Draffin. “It not only counters falsehoods with facts, but also helps ensure those in power are exercising their power transparently, and are held accountable when they misuse it.”

The committee will accept submissions from interested parties until 28 June 2024. It is due to deliver an interim report on or before 15 August 2024, with the aim of presenting a final report by 18 November 2024.