ABC Alumni submission regarding the News Bargaining Incentive

18 December 2025

This submission is made on behalf of the ABC Alumni organisation. ABC Alumni is an association of former Australian Broadcasting Corporation workers who believe passionately in the importance of a well-funded and independent national broadcaster as a vital part of Australian democracy. While not formally connected to the ABC, we have worked since formation in 2018 to advocate for the importance of public service media, especially the ABC, as a key component of a diverse Australian media system.

Introduction

ABC Alumni strongly endorses the News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code (The Code) objectives to support the sustainability of public interest journalism in Australia. The Code has achieved some success in addressing “major disruptions from the digitalisation of the economy, and particularly the digitalisation of the advertising industry” (Commonwealth of Australia, 2025, p. 4), initially identified by the ACCC in 2018.

Further regulatory action is required to maintain a diverse media system that can ensure the policy objectives noted above. Australia’s public service media (ABC and SBS) are key components of that media system and have a long history of contribution to public interest journalism. The professional media workers who have joined ABC Alumni have experienced the impact of technological change in recent decades. We recognise the importance of the News Bargaining Incentive (the Incentive) to ensure “the adoption of commercial arrangements as envisioned under the code” (Commonwealth of Australia, 2025, p. 5).

Comment on specific matters in the consultation paper

ABC Alumni notes that the ABC has previously entered into an agreement with a digital platform under the News Media Bargaining Code.  While noting the consultation paper does not require formal ACMA registration as a news business for a commercial deal between a news organisation and a digital platform, the ABC Alumni supports the current criteria for registration of eligible news businesses with which digital platforms can enter into agreements. The criteria and registration include the public service media organisations.

The options described in the discussion paper have not included specific incentives for digital platforms to negotiate commercial deals with organisations such as the ABC, despite ABC content being ‘published’ by the platform. This is especially appropriate given the ABC’s important role in providing news and information to rural and regional communities.

The Incentive should have a requirement relating to commercial deals with public service media organisations that gives added benefit for digital platforms entering into such agreements. This approach could be similar to the increased deduction rate example noted for collective agreements for small news businesses (p. 14).

The Consultation Paper also asks (Q. 15) whether there should be a cap on expenditure with any single news business corporate group in the interest of achieving greater media diversity. The ABC Alumni supports such a cap through a proportion of eligible expenditure model.

In relation to Question 17 regarding the reporting of information relevant to the Incentive, ABC Alumni believes it is essential that the highest levels of transparency are employed to ensure that the policy objectives of the Code and Incentive are not only met but are discernible to the community. While some financial information relating to specific entities may not be available, it is important that there be regular reporting of the number and value of agreements made under the Incentive.

Question 18 asks whether other appropriate expenditure by platforms should be eligible. ABC Alumni believes this should be permitted, subject to appropriate guidelines and transparency of operation.

Conclusion

The News Bargaining Incentive is an important policy mechanism with the potential to ensure the maintenance of a strong and diverse news media for Australia. The ABC plays a vital role in that media system - providing fearless, independent news content across multiple platforms supporting the health of Australia's democracy. An effective News Bargaining Incentive can help contribute to that role.

The ABC Alumni organisation is available to provide further comments about our submission.

Dr. Michael Ward

Chair

ABC Alumni

News Bargaining Initiative:  Statutory Payment Scheme to distribute any revenue raised by the Incentive.  Submission by ABC Alumni Ltd. 18 May 2026

ABC Alumni has made a number of submissions in response to requests by the Federal Government for consultation on the News Bargaining Initiative.  The NBI proposes a 2.2% levy on large streaming and social media services which can be advantageously offset by entering into commercial deals with news media organisations whose material is used on their services. Here are links to the two previous submissions.

ABC Alumni submission regarding the News Bargaining Incentive  18 December 2025

This submission responds to consultation on the proposed structure for the distribution of funds collected by the Federal Government from the News Bargaining Initiative from those streaming and social media services who have not entered into any or sufficient commercial deals to fully offset the proposed 2.2% levy.

In this submission, ABC Alumni argues that the payment scheme for distribution of revenue should vigorously support small news publishers and those supporting regional news and news provided to marginal communities. The weightings applied to FTE journalists in this area should be at a minimum 30%.

The Alumni also submits that news publishers who have successfully negotiated commercial deals with social media and streaming services should be restricted in their eligibility to access revenue collected by the federal government under the News Media Incentive provisions.

Here is a link to this submission

News Bargaining Initiative Draft Legislation: ABC Alumni Submission 18 May 2026

ABC Alumni has made a number of submissions in response to requests by the Federal Government for consultation on the News Bargaining Initiative.  The NBI proposes a 2.2% levy on large streaming and social media services which can be advantageously offset by entering into commercial deals with news media organisations whose material is used on their services. Here are links 

ABC Alumni submission regarding the News Bargaining Incentive  18 December 2025

News Bargaining Initiative:  Statutory Payment Scheme to distribute any revenue raised by the Incentive.  Submission by ABC Alumni Ltd 18 May 2026

This current submission responds to consultation on the draft legislation for the News Bargaining Initiative

In this submission, ABC Alumni argues, on the one hand, that the proposed draft legislation is unlikely to be effective in achieving the stated objective of promoting greater diversity in smaller and regional news publishers. On the other hand, it submits that enhanced incentives offered for social media and search companies to negotiate commercial agreements with the ABC would provide an effective mechanism for achieving that goal.

The Alumni also submits that news publishers who have successfully negotiated commercial deals with social media and streaming services should be restricted in their eligibility to access revenue collected by the federal government under the News Media Incentive provisions.

Here is a link to the full submission

Michael Ward, Chair, ABC Alumni, provides insights into the ABC’s social media presence and the increasing significance of social media for news media.

The cohort of first time voters at this year’s Federal election have different ways of learning about the world than many of us. Generation Z’s media consumption habits are shaped by growing up with high-speed internet, smartphones and streaming media from an early age.

These digital natives consume primarily on mobile phones: TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. They prefer short-form video as it’s fast and entertaining. What they see is driven by the platforms’ algorithmic feeds rather than by their conscious choices.

Generation Z do not watch broadcast TV or radio, do not buy newspapers, and are not used to reading long form articles - in fact they may have several screens going at a time.

While these new voters are at the extreme in terms of changes to media consumption, reaching Generation Y (Millennials born up to 1996) and earlier is also a challenge, not the least for supporters of the ABC who’s careers there revolved around a style of production is less appreciated than it once was.

During this election campaign, ABC Alumni have produced videos designed for distribution on social media. The videos are short, have vertical orientation and have “burned in” sub-titles (as many viewers watch with the sound off, we’re advised).

It seems like the power of the two major parties is diminishing and if there is a hung parliament, independents will be critical in legislating to support our valued public broadcaster. Many of the short videos produced have included statements from Independent candidates. Other videos are “vox pops” from people on the street who explain why they value Our ABC.

The videos have done quite well, particularly on Facebook, getting a wide viewing audience both through “organic” sharing and some paid “boosting”. The best videos have an engaging poster frame and the speaker gets right to the point. (Average viewing time is about six seconds). The videos have stimulated “engagement” with likes, or other reactions and often comments.

Some comments, however, are quite negative about the ABC. Some examples:

Pretty simple really.... shut it down! Australia doesn't need a media mouth piece for left wing ideology.

ABC needs to just go…

We need a referendum about giving ABC tax money ,, if asked ? There would be no abc

Defund the ABC.

The ABC is an absolute disgrace.

The ABC in the last four decades has evolved into a left wing political party teir funding has to be pulled back.

Defund the ABC now, what a waste of taxpayers money.

Lefty love in

We were a bit rocked to see these reactions but an examination of the accounts that made the comments reveals that almost all of them are “bots” or “sock puppet” accounts. 

There are clearly groups who pay money to have fake comments sprayed around social media and unsurprisingly the ABC is a target of this too. It is risky to assume that comments on social media are a real reflection of public opinion.

Looking at the accounts of negative commenters is interesting.

• Milton S. 100 friends. From Louisville, Kentucky. Only 2 posts, pictures of a dog.
• Mike S. 98 friends. No details. No posts. 
• Steve R. 8 friends. No posts. Follows 3 including 9 News.
• Robert M. 171 friends. Townsville. No posts. Looks fake.
• Lindsay B. 79 Friends. Red Cliffs, Victoria. Pictured on a tractor. Likes prospecting. One post with dog.
• Jim B. Locked profile. 147 friends.

A quick internet search finds that there are numerous services on-line that offer to get you social media followers for a fee and we suspect that many of these accounts have used them.

AI has made it cheap to automate inauthentic activity by “bots” on social media. Poor grammar and typos in the comments might seem to indicate emotion in the commenter but this is often a deliberate tactic.

Red flags in an account that indicate it might be fake include: no profile picture (or an AI generated one), unusual usernames, empty or vague bio and personal information. Lots of comments but little interaction by others. 

Bots, and the comments they create, do cost money and indicate that someone is funding a sophisticated campaign against a publicly funded ABC.

This election campaign is being fought on Social Media with massive spending by all parties. We have found that available ad inventory is so scarce that it’s been hard to spend our budget at times.

A great drawback of today’s election advertising that is highly targeted through Social Media advertising and that different groups get different messages - the leaders can be vague, as they have been about ABC funding - but can tell different audience segments what they want to hear without the risk of appearing contradictory. There is no unified message to all Australians.

ABC Friends and ABC Alumni are doing their best to campaign for more support for the ABC. Look for us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube and LinkedIn.

One practical thing you can do to support the efforts of ABC Alumni (and ABC Friends) in arguing for the ABC is to follow our social accounts and like, share and comment on the posts you see from us. Don’t be alarmed by some of what you see under the posts - they may not even be by real people.

Peter Marks

7 May 2024

The ABC now faces an awful dilemma.

If, as now seems certain, it loses the media bargaining code revenue it has been receiving from Facebook, now Meta, it will have to sack many of the 60 journalists and support staff it has recruited since entering into commercial contracts in 2021.

With global video streamers capturing more and more Australian eyeballs from the wi fi modems linked to their smart TVs, the ABC has emerged as perhaps a last chance saloon for original local drama, documentary and entertainment programs.

By Quentin Dempster 9 December 2021