In light of the alarming financial crisis currently facing the media industry, the Forum on Information and Democracy is calling on its community to contribute to the development of a policy brief aimed at exploring innovative solutions to sustain public interest journalism.
The current challenges posed by Big Tech’s dominance over digital advertising revenues has underscored the necessity for new funding mechanisms, beyond existing remedies like bargaining codes. More specifically, this call for contributions shines a spotlight on a proposition that has gained traction among various countries and experts: the implementation of digital taxes to fund public interest media.
The rationale for this initiative is twofold:
- First, it aligns with our commitment to intensifying efforts around media sustainability issues, a core principle embedded in the International Declaration on Information and Democracy (2018): “The social function of journalism justifies an effort by societies to ensure journalism financial sustainability”.
- Second, it builds upon our previous work, notably the Forum’s New Deal for Journalism report published in 2021, which provides a set of policy options and best practices for governments that want to act to improve the sustainability of independent journalism in their country.
As the media sector continues to navigate unprecedented challenges, the objective of the brief will be to facilitate a comprehensive discussion on the potential of digital taxes as a viable means of funding quality journalism in the digital age.
This call for papers invites submissions that explore various forms of digital taxes – including digital service taxes, targeted digital advertising taxes, and digital VATs. We are particularly interested in contributions that investigate successful models of digital taxes at national, regional, or local levels and propose specific frameworks earmarked for journalism.
Insights and recommendations from contributors worldwide will inform a concise policy brief that will not only advocate for the relevance of digital taxes in sustaining media but also aims to elevate the crucial issue of media viability on global policy agendas. The brief will be shared directly with the signatory States of the Partnership for Information and Democracy, an intergovernmental agreement dedicated to advancing democratic standards in the information space.
Contributors are invited to submit their insights in English, French, German, or Spanish by 16 May to egruden@informationdemocracy.org
