Journalism is the lifeblood of democratic engagement, yet we have allowed the destruction of local news to continue at a breakneck pace.
For more than a decade, the tech giants have built the world's most valuable companies on the backs of journalists, creating a monopoly on digital advertising and siphoning revenue from news publishers.
Google and Meta in particular now play an “essential and unavoidable” role across the news value chain. However, despite the fact that these monopolies provide critical infrastructure for news organizations, our nation's laws and regulations have not kept pace with this reality.
Historically, we have used government policy to structure competition in media markets and compete for the public good. California's efforts to do just that are a step in the right direction.
The California Journalism Protection Act is the opening salvo in the fight to rein in the power of Big Tech and establish a fairer bargaining process with a fairer distribution of profits. CJPA, officially known as Assembly Bill 886, is making a valiant effort to create a new fund to support news organizations that employ journalists and serve Californians.
If Australia's experience with similar legislation is any guide, we should expect to see hundreds of new journalism jobs created.
Google and Meta have vehemently opposed this type of legislation and pursued heavy-handed tactics to derail similar legislation, and officials in Brazil and Canada have also filed lawsuits to clarify the extent of their interference in the legislative process. We urge them to launch an investigation.
These companies also seek to acquire news organizations through grants, fellowships, and participation in special reporting products. Also, assuming that threats to censor news in California are successful, small publishers may lose money or be excluded from their products altogether, with the idea that small publishers may It's scaring the company.
The little money Big Tech has spewed out so far not only disgorges undervalued news, but also deprives news organizations of influence and keeps them tied to the “charity” of the tech platforms they should be reporting on.
This is why CJPA is so important. A regulatory framework that requires collective bargaining and bargaining increases the power of local and small news organizations. An important but often overlooked feature of the CJPA is that it provides a forum for negotiation and allows California publishers to negotiate how their content can be used to improve their services. It also allows content to be removed to fit the underlying larger language model. AI revolution.
Critics argue that CJPA will primarily benefit major media outlets, but the fact that major news organizations benefit is not necessarily a bad thing. They employ thousands of people, create jobs, conduct expensive research, and lobby on behalf of journalism. It also generates and receives the most traffic from technology platforms.
Google and Meta, multi-billion dollar giants, are narrowing this gap between large and small publishers by focusing their discussions on click-through rates and traffic, while haggling for pennies on the dollar. have been successfully utilized. Unfortunately, news publishers equate value with page views, even if users aren't looking for the news or click through the headlines, and how journalism can improve their platforms. We ignore this narrow concept of value.
A recent study found that including journalistic content in Google search results has a positive impact on user satisfaction and success rates, leading to millions of dollars in revenue. Researchers have found that the value of news is much higher than policymakers and publishers think, with another study finding that Google and Meta are increasing the value of news to U.S. publishers by at least 130% per year. It is estimated that the company has debts of $1 billion.
Moreover, a narrow lens on values ignores the public good that journalism serves and the taxes it imposes on citizens when local businesses become unviable, civic life is reduced to engagement metrics, and on-the-ground corruption is rampant. . -Ground watchdogs hold those in power accountable.
The CJPA is more than just a law for the media industry. This is an important step in preserving California's public interest. We recognize the fundamental role of journalism in preserving democracy, promoting accountability, and preserving civic life. This deserves the full support of lawmakers and press freedom advocates.
Courtney C. Radsch is director of the Center for Journalism and Freedom at the Open Markets Institute.
CalMatters CEO Neil Chase formally opposed AB 886, which was introduced last year. His views do not necessarily reflect the views of the organization, newsroom or its staff.
