Clicks over credibility
Managing director and chief executive officer at Seven West Media, James Warburton, shares his reaction to the decision by Facebook to proceed with removing news from Australian news feeds.
This past week has seen a watershed moment for the Australian media.
The number of significant deals struck between Google and Australian news media is a testament to the true value of the quality product we deliver. It’s not only media who are beneficiaries of these deals: so are Australian consumers, who will continue to have choice and access to quality news media. Seven West Media is delighted to have entered the first significant partnership with Google, allowing us to work constructively together on enriching the online news ecosystem.
With one digital platform recognising the value of trusted and verified news media, the timing of Facebook’s decision to remove news media from its Australian platform is curious. The decision may be purely driven by business, as it claims to see no value in news. The cynic in me would then suggest this is a last-ditch attempt to make the Morrison Government change its mind on the News Media Bargaining Code legislation. However, the doubling down from Communications Minster Fletcher shows strength, resolve and global leadership from a sovereign government refusing to be dictated to by global technology giants.
