More money, or less freedom: Kim Williams’ news equation
Photo: Emily Kulich/Melbourne Press Club
Kim Williams has been the ABC’s chair for one year, and he marked the occasion yesterday with a grim warning about the state of journalism and a plea for more funding for the national broadcaster.
Despite the national broadcaster’s base funding being increased last year, Williams said in real terms it is more than $150 million per annum less than it was in 2013, and that Australia invests 40% less per person in public broadcasting than the average “for a comparable set” of 20 democratic countries.
In the year 2000, funding for the ABC comprised 0.31% of national outlay, compared to 0.12% in 2025, which Williams said must also stretch further in the era of digital content.
Speaking about the industry at large, Williams said: “The big issue we must confront, and answer, is how to increase resources needed to create quality news. Or what I call: an investment for democracy. Those investment dollars for democracy must be found.”
He noted that modern methods of news dispersion like podcasting and substacks often “free ride on news gathering” for their content. “In other words, they get free use of the really expensive stuff.” Which is the news gathering these outlets rely on to build their content.
Williams proposed “workable forms of revenue redistribution”, pointing to the Copyright Agency and Public Lending Rights as current mechanisms that successfully distribute funds to rights holders in exchange for fair use of their content.
He noted a “titanic battle is underway to prevent sovereign nations from requiring US-based content aggregators like Apple, Meta, Google, Amazon and X from paying their way” and the fight PM Anthony Albanese is facing with the News Media Bargaining Code.
Photo: Emily Kulich/Melbourne Press Club
Williams also condemned Jeff Bezos’s “increasingly appalling” behaviour as owner of The Washington Post, where he is “effectively censoring the op ed page”.
“If the newspaper that uncovered the Watergate scandal and published the Pentagon Papers can be forced by its proprietor, against the will of its journalists, to toe the line, like this, who is safe?” he asked.
Williams spoke of the recent vetting of the White House press pool, which saw the Associated Press banned, and claimed “President Trump wants reporting from MSNBC and CNN declared illegal” and quoted FBI director Kash Patel as saying he intends to “come after” journalists.
Photo: Emily Kulich/Melbourne Press Club
Speaking in Melbourne hours after Williams’ speech, Albanese declared he would not budge on the news bargaining code or other media-related policies in the pipeline.
“We have been crystal clear with the United States about what is not up for negotiation,” he said.
“Our government stands by our media bargaining code. We strongly support local content in streaming services, so Australian stories stay on Australian screens.
“And we have no intention of repealing the world-leading legislation that we passed with overwhelming support that set the minimum age for social media at 16.
“That policy is about what’s best for Australian children and Australian parents. These are our priorities.”
William’s pitch for more money comes a day after opposition leader Peter Dutton told ABC Radio Melbourne on Wednesday morning he would review the national broadcaster’s budget in a bid cut waste.
Dutton also hinted at a diffusion of operations, saying the ABC’s capital city bases in Sydney and Melbourne are “not helping people out in our metro areas or regional areas.”
He also later claimed there were “some” ABC journalists “who are, frankly, just partisan players and people see that on the TV screens every night. And, again, the ABC is using taxpayers’ money, so use it wisely.”
Williams claimed at the Press Club address he wasn’t worried about any such review on spending.
“Game on,” he said.
“The ABC is an accountable institution, and I have no doubt it will perform well in any such review.”
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