What publishers want from next UK Government
UK local and national news publishers have asked for protection from the next government from generative AI companies taking their content without payment.
As the UK goes to the polls on 4 July, the News Media Association (which represents most UK local and national news publishers) has set out its own “election manifesto” of policy priorities.
Guardian editor Katherine Viner backed calls for greater regulation of AI large language models. The Guardian has yet to indicate whether it plans to sign licensing deals with generative AI companies or will follow the New York Times and sue.
Viner said: “Without quality journalism to train and ground large language models, these technologies would struggle to make sense of the world around them.
“A strong copyright framework, transparency around how quality journalism is scraped and used, and a willingness to stand up for the right of investors in intellectual property to receive fair compensation for the use of their work should be at the heart of a balanced approach to AI policy of the next.”
Editorial director of National World Gary Shipton backed the NMA’s calls for curbs on the BBC’s news operation saying that its “anti-competitive incursion risks hundreds of journalists’ jobs as it steals audience and the advertising revenues associated with them”.
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And Manchester Evening News editor Sarah Lester urged the next Government to move quickly to regulate tech giants via the Digital Markets Bill, which passed into law last week.
She said: “The wider public is largely unaware of how much influence big tech has on what is served to them to read. It’s not an exaggeration to say without action a fundamental part of our democracy is at stake.”
Press Gazette will be updating this page throughout the campaign with information on media policy in the manifestos of the main political parties.
Artificial intelligence and copyright
“The next Government must ensure that publishers can control the use of their content by Large Language Models(LLMs)and are able to consent to its use.
“Transparency obligations are necessary, as are mechanisms to allow publishers to negotiate for the value of content. Artificial intelligence firms continue to use publishers’ copyrighted content without permission or remuneration.”
BBC
“The next Government must use the Charter renewal period to ensure that the BBC’s status as a publicly funded, dominant market actor does not allow the Corporation to further supplant the key role of the commercial news sector.”
The NMA said this should include “placing guardrails on the scope of the BBC’s online news services, with proper scrutiny from Ofcom” and “reshaping the objectives and remit of the BBC’s online news operations to place an emphasis on collaborative working, bolstering plurality in the local news market”.
Press freedom
“Put legislative and non-legislative solutions in place to combat SLAPPs, preventing the rich and powerful from manipulating the UK’s legal system to stop the publication of public interest journalism.
“Make a firm commitment to ensuring that journalists are able to have proper access to public interest information and events, such as: Government briefings; party political gatherings; and high profile events of public interest (such as major sporting events).
“Decisions to grant access should never be prejudiced against particular journalists or media organisations, and – as referenced above – new legislation should be reviewed to ensure it does not restrictor impede journalistic access.”
Media plurality
“The next government must ensure that regulatory interventions support a plural UK media environment.
“This includes ensuring that trusted news can be accessed freely online; publishers can negotiate for the value of trusted content; and any regulation of online advertising does not unfairly penalise trusted publishers or undermine the established system of self-regulation and commercial free speech.”
“Maintaining the requirement for local authorities to place public notices in local newspapers, preserving a vital revenue stream for local titles whilst ensuring all citizens have access to keyi nformation.
“Review the government’s own advertising spend to ensure that trusted local publishers are being fully and effectively utilised as a key route for the Government to communicate critical information in a trusted environment.
“Consider a local journalism tax relief, and an extension of the business rates relief for local titles beyond 2025, allowing publishers to focus investment on putting more journalists on the ground.”
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