A different playbook for the same outcome? Examining Google’s and Meta’s strategic responses to Australia’s News Media Bargaining Code

Abstract

In March 2021, Australia enacted the News Media Bargaining Code (NMBC) legislation, which compels Google and Meta to pay for third-party news content on their platforms. To date, Australian newsrooms have made deals with both platforms totalling approximately AUD$200 million (US$126.4 million). The 1-year review of the Code has prompted questions about not just the legislation but also the lack of public detail about the deals made between news organisations and the platforms. This article seeks to critically analyse the strategic positions both Google and Facebook took in supporting public interest journalism before and after the introduction of the Code. Using a mixed methodological approach, we find that both platforms differed in their strategic engagement with Australian media organisations before and after the introduction of the NMBC and that the Code, as it stands, risks increasing platform influence in the Australian news market.