Suddenly, offsets are the next thing on the news industry’s lobbying agenda
Welcome to a midweek edition of Unmade, mostly written on this morning’s flight from Canberra into Sydney.
Today: The takeouts from last night’s Free TV showcase.
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A tax offset for journalists’ salaries is one of those ideas that has been floating around for years… much like the idea that the government will, at some point, back up its three-year-old promises about a News Media Assistance Program with an ongoing, actual program of some kind – any kind. My publication, Murray Bridge News, was the grateful recipient of one-off funding via the News Media Relief Fund, which resembled an apology for the government not having achieved almost anything whatsoever in the space during its previous term. But at this point I almost don’t care what action the government takes to support media, so long as it hurries up and does it. Imagine certainty!
Presumably the cost of journalists are already tax deductible, so adding an extra tax benefit means double deductions?
Also, this means the government would effectively be paying for the benefit rather than charging the digital platforms that were going to be billed – so yet more additional government spend & the big tech companies go scot-free again!