Progress urgently needed on News Bargaining Incentive and News MAP
Every month, PIJI brings you the latest on the public interest journalism sector at home and around the world.
In this issue, PIJI looks at the how the News Bargaining Incentive and News Media Assistance Program are both widely supported – but delayed movement is putting pressure on news outlets and not-for-profit support across the country.
We also speak to The New World founder and editor-in-chief Matt Kelly about how a niche UK pop-up newspaper exceeded a weeks-long life expectancy and continues to grow years later.
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Support for News Media Bargaining Code remains strong – but swift action urged
Canada’s last-minute decision to rescind its digital services tax in response to US trade pressure does not signal doom for Australia’s efforts to get tech giants to the bargaining table with local news publishers.
LINA back from the brink after News MAP delays
A last-minute lifeline thrown by the federal government has kept the doors from shutting on one of Australia’s most active supporters of small news publishers.
From weeks to years: How The New World keeps spinning
The New European was initially a four-week fiery burst of protest in the wake of the 2016 Brexit referendum. Nine years on and freshly rebranded as The New World, it’s intent on going global.
ICYMI: Industry updates
Australia
- After prematurely ending a contract with dozens of Australian outlets, Google reportedly struck several new deals with one-year terms – a significant reduction on the previous three- and five-year agreements between the tech giant and several news publishers.
- Google ended its fact-checking funding in Australia after letting a deal with AAP FactCheck expire. This cost some jobs linked to the partnership, but AAP emphasised it still has a strong relationship with Google. The move is part of a larger rollback of fact-checking by major tech companies, even as issues of misinformation and disinformation become more widespread.
- Australia and Papua New Guinea marked the 20th anniversary of the Media Development Initiative. The initiative was launched to help PNG develop a more professional, diverse and free public interest media industry. ABC International Development said since launching, the initiative has trained about 3000 people across PNG and worked with 400 media and other partner organisations to better meet the needs of audiences.
- Man of Many introduced a mandatory login to safeguard its content in response to the rise of AI and zero-click searches.
- News Corp Australia journalists reportedly secured a 6 per cent pay rise over two years in a new wage deal, but no new protections over the use of AI in newsrooms or compensation for deals with AI platforms. This comes after staff at News Corp publications were reportedly left concerned after being trained to use AI tools to generate articles in the persona of other writers and edit copy. The MEAA is calling on the government to introduce an AI Act and regulator, as well as a new tax on businesses that replace human staff with AI tools.
Around the World
- Some of the world’s biggest news outlets voiced concern over the starvation of journalists and their families in Gaza. In a joint statement, BBC News, Reuters, AFP and AP said “it is essential that adequate food supplies reach the people” in Gaza, and urged Israeli authorities to allow journalists in and out of the region. More than 200 journalists have been killed by Israel’s actions in Gaza since 2023, marking the deadliest conflict for media workers in recent history.
- The Independent Publishers Alliance filed an EU antitrust complaint over Google’s AI Overviews. The overviews are positioned at the top of Google general search engine results, offering summaries generated by drawing information from relevant websites. Multiple reports show the overviews cost news sites a significant amount of traffic, but publishers cannot withdraw content without disappearing from Google search results altogether.
- US Congress voted to cut nearly US$1.1 billion (A$1.6 billion) in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The decision impacts the National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service, but will be most deeply felt by more than 1500 locally-operated public television and radio stations which are allocated the majority of the funding.
- French sports journalist Christophe Gleizes was sentenced to seven years in prison in Algeria over an interview with a soccer official accused of ties to a banned separatist movement.
- Welsh journalist Will Hayward launched a £10,000 ($20,593) fund to support young investigative journalists in Wales. The move is largely an effort to combat local news deserts and an anticipated rise in misinformation ahead of the upcoming Welsh Parliament election.
- Submissions are open for the Fetisov Journalism Awards 2025, with a total prize fund of 520,000 CHF ($994,454). Open to journalists worldwide with eligible pieces published between 1 June, 2024 and 31 May, 2025, the awards focus on work that brings truth to light, challenges injustice and inspires change. The entry deadline is 15 September, 2025.
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