President of the association, Marcelo Rech classified the assumptions made by the media as ‘totally unrealistic’
The president of the National Association of Newspapers (ANJ), Marcelo Rech, classified as ‘totally unrealistic’ the assumptions that only larger vehicles would benefit from the remuneration of the journalistic activity foreseen in the bill of fake news, whose urgency request was approved in this week.
Former president of the World Forum of Editors and member of the executive committee of the World Newsmedia Association, Rech stated that where the law is already being applied, the entire ecosystem of correct and accurate information, represented by professional journalism, benefits, with very positive impacts for the whole society.
According to the ANJ president, the most advanced situation is that of Australia, which approved legislation two years ago that provides for balance in negotiations between big techs and journalistic organizations. Rech cites a report by Rod Sims, former chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, in which he dismisses as simply untrue the criticism that the law would only benefit large vehicles.
In the report, Sims says that small outlets can bargain collectively and cites the case of 180 local publications, many of them with few journalists, who have struck deals through a regional press association, Country Press Australian. In addition to these, records the president of the ANJ, recently 24 vehicles aimed at ethnic and religious minorities obtained excellent agreements, which would not have been possible without the legislation.
The president of the ANJ also notes that the remuneration forms and model would need to be further regulated, but that Brazil, given the disruptive and perverse effects of disinformation, cannot wait any longer. India, Indonesia, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as the European Union, are following the same path of valuing professional journalism to fight the disinformation epidemic, says Rech.
