Media sustainability
WHEREAS, the statements of intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations and UNESCO have expressed their concern about the crisis that threatens the viability of the media and, with it, the virtues of modern societies
WHEREAS, the Windhoek + 30 Declaration, promoted by Unesco, expresses concern about "the severe economic crisis that represents an existential threat to media..." and points out that "economic sustainability" is "a key prerequisite for their independence" and calls on digital companies to support the media through "inclusive partnership" arrangements and "financial measures"
WHEREAS, the government of the United States will host in June the Ninth Summit of the Americas to be held in Los Angeles, California - entitled "Building a Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Future" for our Hemisphere
WHEREAS, the international and regional press organizations that make up the Task Force coordinated by IAPA continue to express concern about the lack of an open and frank dialogue between press entities and digital platforms with the goal of upholding the value of professional journalism in the digital ecosystem
WHEREAS, press associations and media outlets continue to demand to receive fair and reasonable remuneration for the content that large platforms disseminate and monetize as part of their digital advertising strategy - as well as the direct and indirect benefits they derive from them
WHEREAS, the Task Force and several press associations in Europe welcomed Bill C-18 ("A law regarding digital platforms that make news content available to the public in Canada"), which Canada's Executive Branch introduced in Parliament on April 5 and which, if approved, will force large digital platforms to negotiate with media outlets so that the latter receive remuneration for the use of their content and, if no agreement is reached, a mandatory negotiation may be required by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Council (CRTC).
WHEREAS, in the United States Congress there are several initiatives regarding the internet, among them the "Journalism Competence and Preservation Act (JCPA)," sponsored by Senators Amy Klobuchar and John Kennedy, which, similarly to the law approved in Australia in February 2021, will allow media outlets to negotiate collectively with digital platforms
WHEREAS, in Brazil there is a discussion on bill (PL) 2630/20 ("Brazilian Law of Freedom, Responsibility and Transparency on the Internet"), sponsored by Congressman Orlando Silva, which seeks to make large technological platforms pay journalistic organizations for the use of their content - although its consideration is being delayed due to differences between media associations and journalists
WHEREAS, companies such as Google and Facebook continue to provide valuable initiatives for the sustainability of the media, although the newspaper industry continues to claim that these initiatives do not constitute the fair and comprehensive response that the industry requires to compensate for disruptions and restore a certain balance to the digital ecosystem
WHEREAS, the IAPA's Salta Declaration maintains that "the players in the digital ecosystem should achieve an appropriate balance between freedom of expression, copyright and intellectual property, as well as with respect to the benefits that may be generated by content in said ecosystem," concepts that were reaffirmed in the IAPA resolutions "Fair and Reasonable Remuneration for Journalistic Content" of October 2021; "Australia, Media and Digital Platforms," April 2021, and "Sustainability," October 2020, as well as in the Declaration of the All Americas Media, September 21, 2021.
THE IAPA MID-YEAR MEETING RESOLVES
To make our voice heard at the next UNESCO Global Conference to be held on May 3 in Punta del Este, Uruguay - as well as at the Ninth Summit of the Americas to be held in Los Angeles, California, next June - in order to remind governments that the viability of the media is an essential part of freedom of expression and of the press and a democratic responsibility
To stimulate the Organization of American States (OAS) - as well as its related organizations such as the IACHR and the IDB - to consider including in their work agendas the development of studies and analyses to show that the viability of the media is essential for democracy and that the crisis in the media weakens the latter - as stated in the Inter-American Democratic Charter
To encourage the Canadian Parliament to approve the law requiring media and platforms to engage in negotiations for the use of content, with maximum transparency, and that the scope of the law requires the inclusion of small media in the agreements
To encourage the U.S. Congress to pass a law that would allow media outlets to negotiate collectively with platforms and achieve fair and reasonable remuneration for the content they generate
To encourage the Brazilian Congress to continue discussions on platforms and media - and to include in these discussions the issue of the viability of the media and the remuneration for content by digital platforms
To reiterate that we will continue to support national and supranational initiatives aimed at defending the value of professional journalism on digital platforms - promoting spaces for dialogue between the parties and ensuring the sustainability of journalistic enterprises
To ratify that we will continue to establish alliances with regional and international media associations to exchange experiences on relations and practices with digital platforms.
