ACCC boss blames digital platforms and COVID-19 for suspension of News Corp community titles
Rod Sims, chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), has said the suspension of News Corp’s 60 community print titles this week was thanks to a “one-two blow”: the impact of Facebook and Google, followed by that of COVID-19.
The need for a code regulating the relationship between digital platforms and Australian media companies is even more pressing given the drastic impacts the pandemic has had on the industry, Sims added, and he’s confident it will take effect this year. But News Corp boss Michael Miller disagreed, claiming “we can’t show that we’ve even got to the first base” of negotiations.
Sims said platforms such as Facebook and Google have undoubtedly affected community titles such as News Corp’s
I have, for a long time, struggled to understand why no one in Australia has developed a digital local news platform. I would have thought that News Corp would have looked at this some time ago. This is not a huge project and their muscle, it could be monetised quickly and easily. The current digital offerings they have are pretty poor experiences. Now is the time to re-think local news. I’d love to help with that project.
Times have changed.
They can speculate all they like on the reasons why Fairfax, Nine, News and Co. are now failing dismally in the regions.
The simply truth is they never have and never will relate to regional people. While the rivers of gold flowed, they could serve up anything and get away with it, such were the profits,
Today, they are being forced to produce products that people want to pay for and they are constantly coming up short.
Produce a decent product, people will want it, audiences will grow again, advertisers will return and so the cycle goes.
Force a crap product on people and the inevitable will happen.
It’s time that regional news outlets were put back in the hands of people who live in, love and clearly care about their community.
For proof of this, look at http://www.dubbophotonews.com.au or http://www.orangecitylife.com.au – both still great products, both much loved, both full of print advertising and both still funded by advertising alone, despite the Coronavirus.
There’s a lesson in here but no one is so far listening.
So why don’t we blame Domain and REA for killing the real estate section? Carsales for replacing auto? Ebay and Gumtree for trading post and classifieds? Why don’t we blame the mobile phone for replacing the printing press? The car for the horse and cart? This article does nothing but demonstrate the ACCC Chairman is completely out of touch. Let’s add some more regulation to take Australian media and consumer behaviour back to the 1950’s where he belongs.