News Journalism Payments Bill 2026, News Journalism Payments (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2026
Mr ABDO (Calwell) (18:06): I rise to make a contribution to the news bargaining incentive bills before the House. I often speak in this place about the importance of backing Aussie made, often in the context of Australian industry and manufacturing, as many of us do on this side of the House. But this principle that we hold isn't limited to just physical goods and components.
It also applies to other things Australians consume such as the media and news that Australians depend on every day. Good quality journalism is the backbone of our vibrant and successful democracy. It plays a significant role in the work that all members of this parliament do every day.
It not only keeps us accountable but also helps us inform and engage the community on the work that goes on in this place. Whilst that may come across as just an ordinary point that we might take as a given, the reality is that, in many places, access to good quality journalism is under increasing pressure. These bills recognise that good quality journalism also plays a vital role in keeping Australians connected to their local communities.
Local and regional news outlets play a critical role in keeping Australians informed on the issues that are nearest to them and keeping them connected to events and activities happening in their communities. These local outlets help locals and communities across Australia stay informed on issues that impact their day-to-day lives—issues that may not be picked up by the larger outlets or, as is becoming increasingly prevalent, by their social media algorithms.
Local media also plays an important role in keeping members of the community connected to one another. It does this by promoting community organisations, sporting organisations and community events. We know how important this is for regional communities, where regional and rural Australians are at greater risk of becoming isolated, but this also plays an important role in outer suburban communities like mine.
My electorate of Calwell is a young and diverse community with many young families and new Australians. We recognise that good quality journalism is costly to produce and that the revenue media outlets traditionally depended on has declined, being replaced by a handful of global platforms. We know of many journalists who started off in local papers and went on to inform the landscape of larger media outlets, even across the world.
Without reform we run the risk of local outlets no longer being able to provide the same opportunities going into the future, and local and regional news outlets are the most vulnerable to this change. Diversity in media matters to public interest journalism and to democratic oversight. The value of journalism is not simply in the stories that are published but in the diversity of voices and perspectives that are able to be heard.
A strong and diverse media sector means Australians have access to different perspectives, different experiences and different ways of understanding the issues that affect their lives. That diversity is particularly important in a democracy. We should not want Australians relying on a small number of large platforms or algorithms to determine what news they see and what issues they understand and even influence the way things are understood in an increasingly narrow way.
We need a media landscape where there is room for national outlets, independent journalists, local newspapers, regional broadcasters and community media, because each of them can provide something different. Local journalists in particular have a connection to their communities that larger national outlets simply cannot replicate. They know the local issues, they know the people involved and they understand what matters to the communities they serve.
That is why protecting the sustainability of Australian journalism is so important. We are not just protecting businesses or newspapers. We are protecting the diversity of voices that Australians can access and ultimately the strength of Australia's democracy.
We all know and understand that access to information has changed. The methods through which we consume our media have changed. In fact, our entire relationship with the media landscape has changed.
The way Australians consume news today is vastly different than it was even a decade ago. For many Australians the morning newspaper has been replaced by a news notification on their phone, a social media feed or a story shared by a friend. We can access more information from more sources than ever before.
But with that increased access come new challenges. The platforms Australians use to access news are increasingly controlled by large global technology companies. The way information is presented to us can be shaped by algorithms, commercial incentives and changes to the way these platforms operate.
That means that the future of Australian journalism cannot simply be left to these devices and platforms, which offer accessibility in an increasingly narrow way. And, as we interact with new and emerging technologies—the full extent of which we do not yet know or appreciate—we need policies and legislation that can keep up with that pace of change. We need to make sure that, as technology changes, Australian journalism is not left behind.
We need a regulatory framework that recognises the changing way Australians access information while continuing to support the journalists, newsrooms and media organisations that do the work of producing quality journalism in the first place, because, while the technology through which we consume news may change, the fundamental value of journalism does not.
Australians still need journalists who can investigate issues, hold institutions to account, verify information and tell the stories of their communities. Our policies need to ensure that Australian journalism can continue to perform that role, regardless of how the technology or platforms through which we access that journalism may evolve. We know that quality journalism is costly to produce, while the commercial revenue that has traditionally supported news production has declined as digital advertising has shifted to a small number of global platforms.
A small number of global digital platforms now capture significant digital advertising revenue, while many Australian news businesses remain under financial pressure. Without action, Australians risk losing local and regional news services, media diversity, public interest journalism and democratic accountability. This government recognises that public interest journalism is a public good and is taking action to help build a stronger local media presence in Australia, made here in Australia by Australians, and the bill before the House serves to do just that.
The government's approach is practical and allows for a market based approach designed to support a sustainable, diverse and independent Australian news sector. The measures build on and strengthen the world-leading News Media Bargaining Code, which has been in place since March 2021, ensuring that it remains effective in a changing digital environment. And it will apply a 2.5 per cent charge to Australian digital advertising revenue earned by significant search and social media services.
The government's clear preference, however, is for platforms and news businesses to reach commercial agreements rather than for platforms to pay the charge. If platforms derive value from Australian news they should help sustain it, either by investing directly through commercial agreements or by paying the incentive charge. Any revenue collected through the NBI will be returned in full to the Australian news industry through the News Journalism Payments scheme.
Payments under the News Journalism Payments scheme will be allocated based on the size of the media outlet, including the number of journalists an organisation employs, including the freelancers, recognising that the more journalists employed, the greater the investment in public interest journalism. The eligible roles set to benefit include journalists, photojournalists, videographers, data and visual journalists, and editors and producers directly involved in producing core news content.
Using journalists as the basis for payment recognises the essential work they do in investigating, analysing, reporting and producing the news Australians rely on each and every day. A 20 per cent uplift will apply for journalists employed in regional and remote Australia by small and medium news organisations and by news organisations serving diverse communities, including First Nations Australians and culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
Culturally and linguistically diverse news outlets play an important role in the settlement journey of new Australians. They also help keep Australians connected with the rest of the world. This feeds into our understanding and engagement with a changing world and, in doing so, helps strengthen Australia.
Often the focus is on Australian news delivered in language so people can better understand and engage with the issues of the day. This is an important part of the exercise of democracy, ensuring that people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds have access to information in a language they understand so they can participate fully in the public discussions around them that impact Australian society and public life.
This recognises the additional challenges of employing journalists in regional and remote Australia and the financial pressures facing smaller and community focused publishers. Together, these bills strengthen the news media bargaining code, support commercial investment in Australian journalism, return any incentive revenue to the sector and help secure a sustainable, diverse and independent news industry for the future.
Ultimately, this is about making sure that our policy settings keep pace with the world around us. Technology will continue to change the way Australians access, consume and engage with the news, and we cannot know exactly what that change will look like in the years ahead, but what we do know is that the need for quality, independent and diverse Australian journalism will not change.
In fact, one could argue it will become even more important and crucial. Our government's response recognises that technological change should not come at the expense of the journalists and news organisations that keep Australians informed, hold institutions to account and connect our communities. By strengthening our regulatory framework and supporting investment in Australian journalism, we are ensuring that our media sector can adapt to technological change while continuing to serve the public interest.
That is what these bills are ultimately about, making sure that, as technology changes, Australian journalism has a sustainable future and Australians continue to have access to the diverse and trusted news they need.