Publishers Archives - News/Media Alliance

News/Media Alliance Files Comments, Meets with the Copyright Office on Access to Electronic Works Rulemaking

Staff — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 15:03:11 +0000

On Monday, October 16, 2023, the News/Media Alliance submitted reply comments in response to the U.S. Copyright Office’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Access to Electronic Works. The Copyright Office is proposing to update its regulations governing access to electronic deposits of works submitted for copyright registration that the Library of Congress subsequently selects for its collections. The rule would expand the categories of eligible deposits, including group registrations for published photographs and short online literary works, amongst others. The rule would have minimal direct impact on news publishers, since print newspaper deposits sent by via PDF are already subject to the existing rule. The Alliance’s comments asked the Office to prioritize updating the registration options to allow for publishers to efficiently register online material before moving forward with other rulemakings. In addition, the comments noted the importance of not expanding the ways in which these deposits can be accessed by Library users in ways that compete with markets for licensed content, and signaled support for further documentation around the current conditions of access. On January 9, 2024, the Alliance met with the Copyright Office to discuss the proposed rule and the Alliance members’ experiences with electronic deposits in more detail. Read the Alliance’s comments here and the ex parte meeting summary here.

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News/Media Alliance Files Testimony in Opposition to New Hampshire’s Library Licensing Bill

Staff — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 15:00:49 +0000

On January 9, 2024, the News/Media Alliance submitted written testimony to a committee of the New Hampshire House of Representative in opposition to a bill designed to regulate the licensing terms for electronic written materials to public libraries. The bill, H.B. 1342, resembles bills previously proposed in other states and would impose several limitations on contracts and licenses between publishers and libraries. The Alliance’s testimony notes that these requirements would be “ill-informed, unnecessary, preempted, and unconstitutional.” While the Alliance shares concerns over the wellbeing of the nation’s public library system, H.B. 1342 and similar bills would severely undermine the federal copyright framework, which reserves the right to decide to whom and on what terms to license copyrighted works solely to the author or copyright owner and preempts state laws that would impose license restrictions or requirements. In 2022, a federal court in Maryland declared a similar bill unconstitutional, while New York’s Governor Kathy Hochul vetoed another bill in 2021 for the same reason. The Alliance will continue to work with other creative sector organizations to ensure that the careful balance created by the Copyright Act is not threatened and creators retain the right to protect and manage their works. Read the full testimony here.

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California Senate Judiciary Committee to Hold Informational Hearing on Importance of Journalism

Staff — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 14:00:35 +0000

California Journalism Preservation Act offers solution to help sustain quality journalism

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Arlington, VA – Today the California Senate Judiciary Committee will hold an Informational Hearing on “The Importance of Journalism in the Digital Age.” Senator Tom Umberg is holding the Hearing to give California legislators the opportunity to learn more about the state of journalism in the state, the challenges local newsrooms face and potential solutions, and how the California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA, AB 886) in particular can help support a vibrant free press.

The CJPA would require Big Tech platforms such as Meta (which owns Facebook and Instagram) and Google to pay news publishers a “journalism usage fee” to use the content of eligible digital journalism providers, as defined in the bill. Currently, creators of journalistic and creative content are not adequately compensated for the use of their work that takes a tremendous investment to produce.

The CJPA was introduced by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) in March and passed out of the California State Assembly in June in a floor vote of 46-6 before it was held over to the next session. The Informational Hearing will provide legislators the opportunity to ask questions and provide input before the bill is brought up early in the next session in 2024.

“We applaud Assemblymember Wicks and Senator Umberg for their commitment to sustaining journalism and their dedication to the California Journalism & Preservation Act (CJPA),” said News/Media Alliance President & CEO Danielle Coffey. “By holding this informational hearing and having an open dialogue, they are showing their ardent commitment to preserving quality local journalism that supports a healthy democracy and providing their constituents with important information about their communities. Without meaningful action, news outlets will continue to disappear.”

News outlets, especially small, local ones, are shuttering at alarming rates as revenues decline and costs rise. California has lost more than 100 newspapers in the last decade.

A new report from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University last month raised the level of urgency surrounding the local news crisis, finding that one-third of the newspapers in the U.S. in 2005 will be gone by 2024. Previous reports had estimated the timeline to reach that milestone would occur in 2025, which indicates that the pace of closures has accelerated. Most of the communities that lose their local newspaper do not get a replacement or have a digital source for local news for their community.

When local newspapers shutter, there is a significant detrimental effect on communities whereby civic engagement goes down, corruption goes up, and the ability to combat disinformation grows increasingly difficult.

When newsrooms are full, the public reaps the rewards. The CJPA would also promote the hiring of more journalists, requiring news publishers to invest 70 percent of the profits from the usage fee into journalism jobs.

The News/Media Alliance has been vocally advocating for legislation at the federal level since 2018. The Journalism Competition & Preservation Act (JCPA), which was reintroduced by Antitrust Chairwoman Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Senator John N. Kennedy (R-LA) on March 31 (S. 1094), passed through Senate Judiciary Committee markup in June.

The dominant tech platforms have become de facto gatekeepers of journalism, setting rules for how news content is displayed, prioritized, and monetized. They reap the majority of the financial benefits of sharing publishers’ original content without incurring any of the costs of gathering and reporting news their users want and rely on. The CJPA and JCPA directly address these challenges and are a crucial part of the solution to preserving local journalism.

Coffey added, “With similar laws being passed around the world, we are seeing more and more support for getting this legislation passed countrywide. We must act now to protect and support publishers of high-quality journalism, who work tirelessly to keep our communities safe and informed through their reporting. We look forward to the CJPA moving to a Senate vote next year and working with policymakers in California to implement the CJPA and restore fairness and balance to the marketplace.”

For more information on the federal JCPA, visit www.JCPABill.com.

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Media contact:
Lindsey Loving
Director, Communications
lindsey@newsmediaalliance.org

The News/Media Alliance is a nonprofit organization representing more than 2,200 news and magazine media organizations and their multiplatform businesses in the United States and globally. Alliance members include print and digital publishers of original journalism. Headquartered just outside Washington, D.C., the association focuses on ensuring the future of journalism through communication, research, advocacy, and innovation. Information about the News/Media Alliance can be found at www.newsmediaalliance.org.

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News Take: Free Press Focus: Preventing Another Capital Gazette Shooting: Why We Need The Journalist Protection Act

Staff — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 14:00:41 +0000

“His sixth life term was for my attempted murder. … I wish every day we could go back to June 27th and have it be like it was with my coworkers and me working in our newsroom and just try to tell the stories from our community. … That’s what keeps me going is trying to honor my colleagues. I struggle every day with PTSD and depression and anxiety … It’s something that I don’t think will ever go away.”

– Paul Gillespie, Capital Gazette

“We need this backstop of federal protection in the event that local authorities decline to act whenever a journalist is attacked … it will send a strong message to the American people that violence against anyone, particularly journalists, seeking and reporting the truth on behalf of the public, will not be tolerated.”

– Dan Shelley, RTDNA

Guests: Paul Gillespie, Capital Gazette and Dan Shelley, RTDNA

In this first episode of News Take: Free Press Focus, a subseries of the News Take podcast, we hear from RTDNA CEO Dan Shelley and Capital Gazette Photojournalist Paul Gillespie about the dangers that journalists face on the job and what can be done to combat the threat of violence. Gillespie is one of six survivors of the 2018 shooting at the Capital Gazette in Maryland and speaks on his experience and the importance of shielding journalists from harm. Dan Shelley speaks to RTDNA’s major priority in passing the Journalist Protection Act, a law that would make assaulting a journalist a federal crime. With extensive experience in the media industry, both Gillespie and Shelley illustrate the significance of journalists as a whole and what we, as a community, can do to support them.

Listen or download the audio file to listen offline:

Don’t forget to subscribe to the News Take podcast by clicking “Follow” and selecting your preferred podcasting platform, or click on your preferred platform: Spotify, Apple, Google.

Watch with video:

Speaker bios:

Paul Gillespie has been a photojournalist at Capital Gazette Communications since 2000. He is a 2019 Pulitzer Prize recipient and was named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year alongside the staff at Capital Gazette. Gillespie is one of six survivors of the 2018 shooting at Capital Gazette in Annapolis, in which he lost five close colleagues. He is one of two survivors who still work for the publication today.

Dan Shelley is the President and CEO of the Radio Television Digital News Association, RTDNA, the world’s largest professional organization dedicated to broadcast and digital journalism. He has an extensive background in digital media, including his previous role as Senior Vice President, Digital Content Strategy at iHeartMedia. Since the Journalist Protection Act was introduced in 2018, RTDNA has heavily advocated for passing the legislation.

Send us your suggestions

Send your suggestions for future News Take guests to Senior Counsel & Director of Public Policy, Charlotte McBirney, at charlotte@newsmediaalliance.org.

News Take Production Team:

Host and Executive Producer: Charlotte McBirney, Senior Counsel & Director of Public Policy, News/Media Alliance

Production Support, Editing & Distribution:

Georgi-Ann Clarke, Social Media & Content Manager, News/Media Alliance
Lindsey Loving, Director, Communications, News/Media Alliance
Kayla Singer, 2023 Summer Intern, News/Media Alliance

Audio & Video Engineer: Current Media Group

The post News Take: Free Press Focus: Preventing Another Capital Gazette Shooting: Why We Need The Journalist Protection Act appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

‘Support Journalism’ Fly-In Photos

Staff — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 14:42:27 +0000

More than 80 news publishers representing 25 states across the country met with Members of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on September 27, 2023 for the News/Media Alliance’s ‘Support Journalism’ Fly-In to advocate for the importance of quality journalistic and creative content and the need for legislative action in the United States.

Here is a collection of photos from the day:

Click on a photo to expand and click the Back button in your browser to return to the Gallery.

Support Local Journalism Awards Reception photographs by Will Reintzell Photography.

The post ‘Support Journalism’ Fly-In Photos appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

News/Media Alliance Hosts ‘Support Journalism’ Fly-In to Advocate for Importance of Quality Journalism

Staff — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 13:00:52 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Arlington, VA – Eighty-four participants representing news publishers in 25 states across the country will meet with Senators and Representatives on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. today as part of a Support Journalism Fly-In hosted by the News/Media Alliance, a nonprofit trade association representing more than 2,000 print and digital news and magazine publishers in the U.S. The Fly-In is being held to advocate for the importance of quality journalistic and creative content and the need for legislative action in the United States.

“Our members are here in Washington today because they are passionate about quality journalism, and right now its future is at risk,” stated News/Media Alliance President & CEO Danielle Coffey. “Current marketplace imbalances and economic headwinds have created an environment where quality is no longer rewarded, and intermediaries benefit at the expense of those who invest in the creative process. If we allow this to continue, we will lose the invaluable benefits of a free press, which is critical to an informed society and a functional democracy.”

In their meetings with Members of Congress, publishers will discuss the need for fair compensation from the Big Tech platforms in the form of the bipartisan Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA, S. 1094); protection from unlawful scraping of content by artificial intelligence systems; tax credits such as those stipulated in the Community News and Small Business Support Act (H.R. 4756); and privacy legislation.

Executives representing news publishers of all sizes will be in attendance.

Chris Argentieri, President of California Times, which includes the Los Angeles Times stated, “In times of crisis, in times of curiosity, and in times of concern, people turn to news organizations they trust to provide guidance and information on the news of the day.”

Debby Krenek, Publisher, Newsday Media Group, LLC stated, “Newsday’s reporters are the lifeblood of our communities on Long Island and help establish the bedrock of a healthy democracy by informing and empowering all Long Islanders. Local journalism is not a luxury. It’s a necessity and it is under existential threat.”

Grant Moise, CEO of DallasNews Corporation and President & Publisher of The Dallas Morning News stated, “The Dallas Morning News employs over 600 people, and these colleagues’ dedication and hard work helps keep North Texans informed and empowered daily. In the digital age, journalism faces many threats. We are here to ask you to support our industry, not just for us, but for all Americans.”

Last night the Alliance recognized Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) for her contributions to preserving quality journalism at a “Support Local Journalism” reception held at the Washington Post ‘s headquarters. Senator John Thune (R-SD) will also accept an award for his contributions to sustaining quality journalism at a meeting with publishers today.

Coffey added, “We appreciate the hard work and dedication of Senators Klobuchar, Kennedy and Thune, and we look forward to working with them to save local journalism so that future generations can rely on timely, vetted news and information that impact their daily lives.”

###

Media Contact:
Lindsey Loving
Director, Communications
lindsey@newsmediaalliance.org

The News/Media Alliance is a nonprofit organization representing more than 2,000 news and magazine media organizations and their multiplatform businesses in the United States and globally. Alliance members include print and digital publishers of original journalism. Headquartered just outside Washington, D.C., the association focuses on ensuring the future of journalism through communication, research, advocacy, and innovation. Information about the News/Media Alliance can be found at www.newsmediaalliance.org.

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News/Media Alliance Rebuts Arguments That Canada’s Online News Act Violates Treaty Obligations

Staff — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 13:45:03 +0000

Following Canada’s adoption of Bill C-18, the Online News Act in June, the News/Media Alliance submitted a briefing to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in late June rebutting arguments that the law violates Canada’s international treaty obligations. The Online News Act closely resembles Australia’s News Media Bargaining Code, adopted in 2021, with both giving news publishers the right to negotiate – collectively if desired – with the dominant online platforms for fair compensation for the use of their content. Throughout the legislative process, some big tech interest groups made arguments that the bill would violate Canada’s non-discrimination commitments under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which prohibit the signatories from discriminating against businesses or investors from the other treaty partners.

The briefing discusses why these provisions are not applicable to the Online News Act in the first place and how, even if they were applicable, the bill would not be in violation of the relevant prohibitions. It also emphasizes the vital public welfare rationale behind the Act – and others, including the News Media Bargaining Code and the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act in the United States – and how this aligns with the Biden Administration’s all-of-government competition initiative. The briefing calls for the USTR to restrain from expressing reservations on the Act, noting that doing so would undermine similar efforts in the United States. Read the full briefing here.

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Alliance Joins Brief Defending Netflix in Support of First Amendment Rights

Charlotte McBirney — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 20:56:55 +0000

On June 7th, the Alliance joined a brief in Netflix v. Babin, filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, dealing with the criminal prosecution of Netflix by the Tyler County District Attorney (“DA”) over a French film called ‘Cuties’. The film, which earned the Directing Award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2020, explores the story of an 11-year-old Muslim Senegalese immigrant girl in France, and the impact that a highly sexualized and social-media-driven culture has on her and society’s youth. Though there is no child nudity in the film, the DA originally tried to prosecute Netflix under a portion of the Texas penal code for promotion of child pornography, which was later declared unconstitutional. The DA withdrew that indictment and then issued four new indictments under another section of the code for production, direction, or performance that includes sexual conduct by a child.

Netflix sued the DA in federal court seeking an injunction against the state prosecution. The federal district court in Texas agreed with Netflix, finding that the charges were brought in bad faith. The DA has now appealed to the Fifth Circuit. The amicus brief, drafted by Hayes and Boone and joined by a broad coalition of groups in defense of the First Amendment, argues that the criminal provisions should not apply, and that this prosecution is a threat to free speech. To allow the criminal prosecution of Netflix over this film would chill First Amendment rights of creators and publishers to produce works of art and journalism on important, sensitive, and even controversial topics. Read the full brief here.

The post Alliance Joins Brief Defending Netflix in Support of First Amendment Rights appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

Statement: News/Media Alliance Applauds Passage of the Canadian Journalism Compensation Bill into Law

Staff — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 19:12:51 +0000

The News/Media Alliance commends the Canadian government for passing the Online News Act (C-18) today. The Online News Act would help Canada’s free press prevail by requiring dominant online platforms to provide fair compensation to news publishers for the use of their content. The bill follows international efforts to create a more balanced digital ecosystem that rewards original journalism and protects communities’ access to high-quality local news, and builds momentum for the California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA – AB 886) and the federal Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA) (S.1094)

The Online News Act follows the Australian approach and establishes an arbitration mechanism.

“We are pleased to see Canada stand up to Big Tech and recognize that a free functioning democracy depends on independent and trustworthy news publishers, said Alliance President and CEO, Danielle Coffey. We hope to see this trend continue in the United States and abroad.”

The post Statement: News/Media Alliance Applauds Passage of the Canadian Journalism Compensation Bill into Law appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

News Take Episode 204: Navigating the Digital Media Transition: Lessons from the Music Industry

Staff — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 13:00:18 +0000

“Having very frequent, more positive and hopefully collaborative conversations with startups who want to use their catalog, having those conversations much, much earlier on, and building out a long-term where they’re proactively pursuing those collaborations with mutually favorable terms, as opposed to ending up in a position where they have to be purely reactive and suing companies and people which definitely is not a good place to be in financially but also in terms of public perception.”

– Cherie Hu, Water & Music

Guest: Cherie Hu, Founder, Water & Music

How is the way the music industry and musicians are compensated similar to and different from the way publishers are compensated? What lessons has the music industry learned to help them better protect against unauthorized use of their content? How could web3/blockchain play a role in compensation models for the music and publishing industries? What are the potential roles AI could play in music creation and/or distribution?

In this episode of News Take, Cherie Hu, founder of music collaboration and research firm Water & Music, joins News Take host Rebecca Frank for a fascinating discussion about how the music industry has navigated changes to the ways music is distributed and consumed. Hu draws parallels, as well as distinctions, between how musical content is protected and compensated, and those same aspects of publishing. She shares insights on how emerging technologies, including web3/blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) can be leveraged by content creators now and possibly down the road, and breaks down the two camps of AI users from a philosophical and business perspective. Finally, she touches on the work Water & Music is doing to bring new industry innovators together, as well as her take on trends in music innovation that translate to the publishing world.

Listen or download the audio file to listen offline:

Don’t forget to subscribe to the News Take podcast by clicking “Follow” and selecting your preferred podcasting platform, or click on your preferred platform: Spotify, Apple, Google.

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Speaker bio:

Cherie Hu is the founder of Water & Music, a research network focused on analyzing music and tech trends. Previously, Cherie penned hundreds of articles on music and tech as a freelance writer for publications including Billboard, Forbes, Pitchfork and Variety. She has spoken as an expert commentator on CNBC and SiriusXM Volume; as a guest lecturer at institutions such as Harvard University, NYU, Northeastern, and Berklee College of Music in Valencia; and spoken at over 30 conferences around the world.

Send us your suggestions

Send your suggestions for future News Take guests to Alliance VP, Research & Insights Rebecca Frank at rebecca@newsmediaalliance.org.

News Take Production Team:

Host and Executive Producer: Rebecca Frank, VP, Research & Insights, News/Media Alliance

Production Support, Editing & Distribution:

Georgi-Ann Clarke, Social Media & Content Manager, News/Media Alliance
Rachel Fox, Manager, Membership & Events, News/Media Alliance
Lindsey Loving, Director, Communications, News/Media Alliance

Audio & Video Engineer: Current Media Group

The post News Take Episode 204: Navigating the Digital Media Transition: Lessons from the Music Industry appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

Publishers Archives - News/Media Alliance

News/Media Alliance Files Comments, Meets with the Copyright Office on Access to Electronic Works Rulemaking

News/Media Alliance Files Testimony in Opposition to New Hampshire’s Library Licensing Bill

California Senate Judiciary Committee to Hold Informational Hearing on Importance of Journalism

California Journalism Preservation Act offers solution to help sustain quality journalism

News Take: Free Press Focus: Preventing Another Capital Gazette Shooting: Why We Need The Journalist Protection Act

Listen or download the audio file to listen offline:

Watch with video:

Speaker bios:

Related links:

Send us your suggestions

News Take Production Team:

‘Support Journalism’ Fly-In Photos

Here is a collection of photos from the day:

News/Media Alliance Hosts ‘Support Journalism’ Fly-In to Advocate for Importance of Quality Journalism

News/Media Alliance Rebuts Arguments That Canada’s Online News Act Violates Treaty Obligations

Alliance Joins Brief Defending Netflix in Support of First Amendment Rights

Statement: News/Media Alliance Applauds Passage of the Canadian Journalism Compensation Bill into Law

News Take Episode 204: Navigating the Digital Media Transition: Lessons from the Music Industry

Listen or download the audio file to listen offline:

Watch with video:

Speaker bio:

Related links:

Send us your suggestions

News Take Production Team: