Perth Voice Interactive

SMALLER local publishers will be disproportionately affected by Meta’s removal of it news tab from Facebook and Instagram says a lobby group.

Facebook’s news tab disappeared from Australian accounts on Tuesday after Meta thumbed its nose at the federal government’s news media bargaining code, introduced in 2021 to make digital companies pay for news content they share and benefit from through advertising, but don’t contribute to.

Some smaller publishers received funding from Meta through the Walkley Foundation, but most were excluded because of a high revenue threshold.

The Local and Independent News Association says these publishers would lose out through the loss of website traffic driven by Meta.

LINA executive director Claire Stuchbery said government support would be needed to counter the losses and help newsrooms transition to new income streams.

“These local and independent media publishers play a critical role within their communities, combatting misinformation and disinformation, supporting community health and safety (including emergency preparedness and resilience), promoting workforce development and fostering social cohesion and civic engagement.

“They are also key to platforming diverse voices and experiences, as these tend to be the most affected by the closure of larger newsrooms and the rising syndication of content.”

Many small newsrooms formed in response to misinformation about Covid and to fill news deserts with locally relevant updates

during the pandemic, and in the context of rising natural disasters and the advancement of generative AI technology.

Ms Stuchberry said while big news organisations had brand awareness, these hyperlocal newsrooms tended to rely on Facebook and Instagram to find an audience.

“Not only would this affect the viability of existing news publishers, but the ability of new organisations and publishers to start-up and build their audience would be hampered in the future, further consolidating what is already one of the most concentrated m0edia markets in the world,” Ms Stuchbery said.

by STEVE GRANT