Study: Americans want big tech to compensate small papers

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans want Congress to intervene in the conflict between small news publishers and “big tech” companies like Google and Facebook, according to a press release from the News Media Alliance.

The release cited a survey of 1,000 adults in the United States that indicated that 70% supported Senate Bill 673, called the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act. The bill is designed to allow small and local publishers to band together to collectively negotiate fairer terms for use of their content by big tech platforms, according to the release.

The bill’s official summary says it would create “a four-year safe harbor from antitrust laws for print, broadcast, or digital news companies to collectively negotiate with online content distributors (e.g., social media companies) regarding the terms on which the news companies' content may be distributed by online content distributors.”

The survey, commissioned by the News Media Alliance and conducted by Schoen Cooperman Research, also determined that:

• 79 percent of Americans believe that big tech has too much power over the news and publishing industries.

• 76 percent of Americans believe that big tech companies are driving small and local news outlets out of business.

• 86 percent of Americans believe that big tech should be required to offer the same compensation terms to local publishers as they do national news organizations.

• 81 percent of Americans support Congress taking steps to give small and local publishers more power in negotiations with big tech companies.