Communications Minister Fifield calls on Labor and the Senate to pass media reform package
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has used an address to the National Press Club today to increase pressure on the Labor Party and crossbench Senators to pass the government’s proposed media reforms.
Fifield: “We shouldn’t retain rules that pretend the internet doesn’t exist”
In his address, Fifield noted the political concerns about the abolition of the ‘2 out of 3’ rule – which limits anyone from controlling more than 2 out of 3 media platforms – but argued that the rules were created in a pre-digital era before the internet and the wave of global competition that has followed.
“There is hesitation in some quarters about removal of the 2 out of 3 rule on the grounds that it remains an important diversity protection,” said Fifield. “I find this a difficult argument to understand.
Fifield is right about the ‘2 out of 3’ rule being created in a pre-digital era before the internet but that is not sufficient reason to remove it. However protection of diversity is sufficient reason to keep it, even if he can’t not understand the logic.
While Fifield may be right, there is no point rushing the approval of draft legislation without sufficient scrutiny.
Fifield sounds like he’s getting all of his information from the media giants themselves. The argument that the internet provides sufficient competition is utterly false.
Established traditional media organisations still have the biggest online presence, and many smaller, online-only ventures rely heavily on content from the traditional media giants.
If the 2 out of 3 rule passes, it will be a sad day for the Australian public. The average punter wouldn’t notice their radio station, newspaper, and TV network being run by the one conglomerate. And that’s exactly what the media giants want.