Unions launch global campaign to ensure journalism's future
UNI Global Union and the IFJ are calling on national governments to tax internet companies.
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A coalition of global unions, representing nearly 21 million workers worldwide, have launched a campaign to save print journalism. UNI Global Union and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) are calling on national governments to tax major internet companies and support print media.
The IFJ and UNI have announced a plan to push governments to adopt emergency rescue packages for the print media industry as a whole (journalism, publishing, printing and distribution) as well as introduce a digital services tax on tech giants such as Amazon, Google, and Facebook who have diverted advertising revenue from media outlets.
The Covid-19 crisis has accelerated a long-standing decline of media ad income. This year alone, revenue is down 20 per cent. Much of this money has been siphoned by tech companies. For example, in 2018, Google earned $4.7 billion from news – money not shared with the journalists who produced it.
Anthony Bellanger, IFJ general secretary, said:
"The current global health crisis is significantly increasing the great difficulties facing the print media sector,"
"Governments need to react urgently. The sector is a public good and a crucial pillar of our democracies. Governments are well aware of this. Indeed, with the Covid crisis they have identified the sector as essential. Today, they cannot just watch the ship sink from their balconies."
In light of the severe economic crisis that lies ahead, the unions want national governments to step in to protect media jobs safeguard a print media industry that stands for quality, ethics, solidarity, labour rights and fundamental freedoms.
Christy Hoffman, general secretary of UNI Global Union, said:
"The health of our democracies rests on holding people in power accountable, and journalists are the ones who, more often than not, shine a spotlight on political and corporate power abuses of the public trust,"
"Print media plays a huge part in disseminating this information and supporting the online components of journalism."
Unless action is taken, thousands of media outlets risk being shuttered and hundreds-of-thousands jobs risk being lost due to the consolidation in the media sector and loss of advertising income.
The IFJ and UNI have adopted a joint appeal addressed to national governments entitled: Rescue and future survival package for the print media industry.
Trade unions affiliated to the federations will use the proposals to lobby for support for the news media.
Nicola Konstantinou, head of department of the UNI's graphical and packaging sector, said:
"Print media is a social good, and its media supply chain is long and includes millions of people – journalists, editors, proof-readers, printers, designers, photographers, but also delivery people, postal workers, and booksellers,"
"These businesses – and the people who work for them – are put at a disadvantage by the unfair tax avoidance stealing of ad income by major tech companies. We are asking governments to intervene to make sure that the people who produce and distribute the news we depend on get a fair share."
IFJ Global platform for quality journalism
The IFJ has launched a series of global proposals in response to the coronavirus crisis.
From Health Crisis to Good News
A recovery plan for the news industry by the NUJ.