…BBC, NGE, 50 others endorse principles
The framework for negotiations between registered news businesses and designated big digital platforms like Google, Facebook, Twitter and others has been launched.
The framework seeks for fair compensation for publishers across the globe.
A statement on Monday said the endorsement was done on July 14 at a conference held at the Gordon Institute of Business Science, Johannesburg, South Africa.
The conference, with the theme: ‘The Big Tech and Journalism – Building a Sustainable Future for the Global South,’ was aimed at promoting media sustainability across the globe.
The principles were adopted by the Nigerian Guild of Editors and British Broadcasting Corporation Media Action and over 50 people/organisations from 20 countries.
The Principles are intended to be universal, serving as a framework for any country seeking to address media sustainability through competition or regulatory approaches, while enabling adaptation to the unique context.
The NGE, through its General Secretary, Dr Iyobosa Uwugiaren – with support from leading journalists, media organisations, scholars, publisher groups, activists and economists, including 2001 Nobel laureate, Prof. Joseph Stiglitz, was part of the adoption.
“These principles are intended to help in the design, implementation and evaluation of public policy mechanisms that oblige digital platforms and news publishers to engage with each other to develop fair economic terms.
“The principles also recognise freedom of expression as a foundational human right underpinning democracy and support public-interest journalism as a public good that should be available to all. Any mechanisms about the principles must, therefore, be founded on the same commitment,’’ the conference stated.
It said robust discussions were held on the experiences of countries, which have already or are considering implementing such initiatives to sustain journalism, as well as the challenges of doing so in other countries with large media industries but severe sustainability challenges.
The conference featured panel discussions focusing on South Africa, Australia, Latin America, Asia, and Africa, as well as a series of keynotes by distinguished speakers. The conference culminated in the adoption of ‘Big Tech and Journalism – Principles for Fair Compensation’.
The principles include public interest, which spelt out mechanism to support and invest in public interest journalism; plurality; diversity; sustainability; fairness; collectivity; transparency and accountability.
Others are independence, a mechanism that should overseen and enforced by bodies that are demonstrably independent of both the platform and publishing industries; and outcomes, a mechanism that should be output-oriented.
