In a stunning about face, Canada’s largest media industry association is urging Ottawa to back down and accommodate big social media giants' concerns with Bill C-18, commonly known as the Online News Act..News Media Canada (NMC), which represents legacy media publishers including Postmedia, Torstar and La Presse, issued a statement calling for the federal government to find “a path forward” on issues over remuneration and financial liability for posting links to online news content..It comes after Google last week issued a lengthy statement expressing concerns that C-18 is based on a “fundamentally flawed premise” that it is unfairly profiting from the sharing of online news..Google complained the eligibility criteria for what constitutes a news outlet are “vague, expansive and often inconsistent, allowing some businesses to benefit even if they do not produce news content or adhere to journalistic standards.”.“We continue to have significant concerns that the core issues ultimately may not be solvable through regulations and that legislative changes may be necessary,” it added..According to NMC, the government should consider Google’s concerns before the bill comes into effect in December and that “parties need incentives to enter into negotiation, rather than holding out.”.“Google’s submission is a welcome, clear, constructive, good faith articulation of legitimate concerns. We are in agreement with many of the issues they have raised,” Paul Deegan, News Media Canada’s president and chief executive officer said in a statement to The Globe and Mail..“We are ready to sit down and work through the detail of these issues before the regulations are finalized. Google plays an essential role in helping Canadians find trusted news sources and we are confident there is a path forward for the company and publishers to continue what has been a mutually beneficial relationship for many years to come.”.It’s a major retreat for the NMC, which has been a staunch advocate for C-18, arguing it is needed to “address the negotiating imbalance between news publishers and platforms.”.Specifically, Deegan said there should be a firm ceiling rather than a floor on financial liability. His group also wants to ensure eligible publishers have an online presence and ‘non-monetary’ measures should be included as eligible compensation..It also wants to restrict eligible publishers to those with a QCJO designation — ‘Qualified Canadian Journalism Organization’ under CRA rules — be eligible under the act..For its part, Google said the bill as it stands needs “substantial” amendments that may not be palatable or even possible for the government to provide..“The ability to freely send and share links to news content online is critical to free expression, access to information, press freedom and an informed citizenry. Put simply, it is foundational to how Canadians enjoy the free and open web."."Putting a price on free linking to news content is not in the interest of Canadians, nor is it an effective response to the complex challenges facing the evolving Canadian news ecosystem.” .The Western Standard has a QCJO designation although it doesn’t accept government tax breaks or subsidies for producing news content.
