Will's Word: Fair News Bill’s risky gamble with Google and tech giants

OPINION. It's time for Will's Word and boy; it's been a hell of a year for the media industry.

First, you had the axing of News Hub and then the extensive job cuts at TVNZ. Now, numerous local newspapers are set to close if they haven't already.

It's been damaging not just for New Zealand in general but also for the workforce.

Now, the Fair News Digital Bargaining Bill is a pretty long title, isn't it? That was supposed to be the answer to all this.

Advocates argue it could financially relieve the struggling local media industry and all that jazz. Heard it time and time again. It was a Labour-proposed bill way back in the Labour government.

Now, some reckon that it will cause more harm than good. And to be honest, I'm on the latter side of things. It may cause more harm than good.

I mean, seriously, think about it. If you don't know already, Google has threatened to remove news stories from its search engine if the legislation is not adjusted to its liking.

Now, here's the kicker, and perhaps at the heart of the issue: The proposed system would ultimately compel or force tech giants like Google and Facebook, or Meta as it's also known, to pay the news organisations in this country to use the content that they distribute through their platforms.

Now, the aim is to level the playing field, and that's what we heard from Willie Jackson, the former broadcasting minister.

It's basically, as I say, supposed to level the playing field between the digital behemoths and local media outlets because, yes, let's face it, local media is struggling - obviously struggling to compete for advertising revenue.

That's how we exist. Ultimately, it's the advertising dollars that fund most of the media industry.

Now, on paper, you could say: ‘Oh man, it sounds like a fair deal. Why shouldn't we? Why shouldn't that be the case?’

Tech companies benefit from the news they get from local media that produced the content and would obviously receive compensation. I'm talking about the local media companies, but that's where it ends; that's where it all sounds good on paper.

And I think this is the thing: News organisations need Google more than perhaps Google needs news organisations, right? Just imagine for a moment: In a world where this legislation passes and Google pulls news sites from its search engine, has Google really lost much? I'd argue not.

And so we're doing more damage than good at the end of the day.