Coalition of Global Unions Launches Campaign to Save Print Journalism

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Jim-Boumelha, President International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
Jim-Boumelha, President International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)

 A coalition of global unions, representing nearly 21 million workers worldwide on September 18, 2020 launched a campaign to save print journalism, calling on national governments to tax major internet companies and support print media.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and UNI Global Union announced the effort 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 coalition noted that the Covid-19 crisis has accelerated a long-standing decline of media ad income, disclosing thatthis year alone, revenue went down 20 per cent because much of this money has been siphoned by tech companies. It cited Google which it said earned $4.7 billion from news in 2018, money not shared with the journalists who produced the news.

Anthony Bellanger, IFJ General Secretary warned, “The current global health crisis is significantly increasing the great difficulties facing the print media sector,” adding “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.”

The unions called on 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 in light of the severe economic crisis that lies ahead.

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.”

The unions warn that unlessaction 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 titled “Rescue and future survival package for the print media industry.” Unions who are members of these federations will use these points lobbying for support for the news media.

Nicola Konstantinou, Head of department of the UNI’s Graphical & 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.”