The editors of The Canberra Times and Australia's leading regional newspapers have a direct message for their thousands of followers on social media: before Meta blocks news in your feed, sign up as a subscriber to support the local journalism you trust to keep your community strong.
In a series of targeted messages dropping across social platforms from today, the editors of media company ACM's 14 daily newspapers are telling their followers on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok: don't rely on an algorithm to show you real news.
The call-out - ACM is the publisher of this masthead - follows Facebook's removal last month of its dedicated section for news content and parent company Meta's announcement in March that it will cease its current funding arrangements with Australian news providers.
Meta's withdrawal of support for credible journalism and trusted news sources has been condemned by the Albanese government, which has sought advice from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and Treasury on its options under the News Media Bargaining Code.
Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland said Australian news publishers "deserve fair compensation for the content they provide, and Meta's decision represents a clear dereliction of its commitment to the sustainability of Australian news media".
With leading media companies such as ACM calling on the government to designate Meta under the code, the likelihood is growing that Meta will block all news content from its platforms in Australia to avoid having to do new content deals with publishers.
Faced with Canada's equivalent legislation, Meta has blocked access to all news coverage for its Canadian Facebook and Instagram users since August 2023 after the Mark Zuckerberg-controlled social media giant refused to pay for news content there.
The editors of ACM have urged audiences on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to connect directly to the source of the public interest journalism and local news they value most.
Here's what social media users can do:
- sign up to get free morning news headlines and other newsletters from your favourite local news source emailed straight to your inbox;
- download your local ACM newspaper's mobile app; or
- become a subscriber to unlock unlimited online access to trusted local news.
"Our local editors and their teams take great care and pride in telling the stories that matter in their communities and the readers they reach via social media channels need to know what's at stake now that Meta has made clear its disregard for credible news and journalism," ACM executive editor James Joyce said.
"Some of our long-standing mastheads, such as the Newcastle Herald, Ballarat's The Courier and Launceston's The Examiner, have been keeping readers informed and their regions strong for more than 150 years.
"Instead of scrolling through what Facebook and Instagram chooses to show you, which is increasingly fake news and other junk from unknown sources, we're encouraging social media audiences to show they value journalism from trusted sources by signing up as a subscriber."
The Canberra Times revealed last week that Meta's new artificial intelligence feature on its Facebook and Instagram platforms is misleading users by fabricating false and, in some cases, defamatory summaries of news reports.
Minister Rowland said the technology potentially misreporting facts was a concern and digital platforms had to be accountable for information they produced or hosted.
"The government encourages Australians to verify their news sources and cross-check against other sources of information to ensure they receive information that is factual and well-balanced," Ms Rowland said.
"The Albanese government is committed to ensuring that Australians retain access to quality, public interest journalism; and are equipped with the skills and information they need to contextualise and interpret the information they encounter online."
