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Corbyn floats plan for windfall tax on tech firms to fund journalism Corbyn floats plan for windfall tax on tech firms to fund journalism
(about 1 hour later)
A windfall tax could be levied on tech giants such as Google, Amazon and Facebook to pay for public interest journalism, Jeremy Corbyn has said.A windfall tax could be levied on tech giants such as Google, Amazon and Facebook to pay for public interest journalism, Jeremy Corbyn has said.
The Labour leader called for radical reform of the media landscape in a speech at the Edinburgh TV Festival. The Labour leader called for radical reform of the "failing" news media in a speech at the Edinburgh TV Festival.
Other ideas include a "digital licence fee" - paid for by big tech companies and internet providers - and publishing data on BBC employees' social class.Other ideas include a "digital licence fee" - paid for by big tech companies and internet providers - and publishing data on BBC employees' social class.
The Conservatives said the "internet tax" would increase consumers' bills.The Conservatives said the "internet tax" would increase consumers' bills.
Low levels of trust in the media cannot be ignored, Mr Corbyn said on Thursday in the Alternative MacTaggart lecture - a speech which could be a guide to how a Labour government might approach media policy. Speaking on Thursday in the Alternative MacTaggart lecture, Mr Corbyn said the British press is "the least trusted press in Europe".
The Labour leader, who has been subject to fierce attacks by sections of the British press and has criticised leading tech firms over tax avoidance and data misuse, claimed journalists are being "held back" by media tycoons and, in the case of the BBC, by excessive state influence. He said he wants greater investment in investigative, public interest journalism. Existing not-for-profit news organisations, like the Bureau for Investigative Journalism, could be given charitable status, he said.
Without greater investment in investigative, public interest journalism, there is a risk that a "few tech giants and unaccountable billionaires will control huge swathes of our public space and debate", he said. This "public interest media fund" could be paid for either through a content sharing and advertising revenue agreement with Google, similar to that agreed in France or Belgium in 2013.
Existing not-for-profit news organisations, like the Bureau for Investigative Journalism, should be given charitable status, he said, while new "news co-operatives" could be created with a remit to report on local government, private contractors operating public services, and regulated bodies. Or, if it is not possible, he said a Labour government would be prepared to explore a one-off tax on the profits of the market-leading search engine and other platforms.
These, he argued, could be paid for either through a content sharing and advertising revenue agreement with Google, similar to that agreed in France or Belgium in 2013. Mr Corbyn also said:
If it is not possible to "tap up the digital monopolies that profit from every search, share and like we make", he said a Labour government would be prepared to explore a one-off tax on the profits of the market-leading search engine and other platforms.
"The best journalism takes on the powerful, in the corporate world as well as government and helps create an informed public," he said."The best journalism takes on the powerful, in the corporate world as well as government and helps create an informed public," he said.
"This work costs money. We value it but somehow that does not translate into proper funding and legal support." The Labour leader, who has been subject to fierce attacks by sections of the British press and has criticised leading tech firms over tax avoidance and data misuse, claimed journalists are being "held back" by media tycoons and, in the case of the BBC, by excessive state influence.
Mr Corbyn has long supported a review of media ownership rules amid longstanding concerns within the party about the power of companies such as Rupert Murdoch's News Corp and 21st Century Fox.
Labour's 2017 manifesto promised to give regulator Ofcom more powers to protect media plurality and to reconsider rules on who is fit and proper to run TV and radio stations.
The speech did not refer specifically to ownership rules or to the current takeover battle for Sky or the future of Sky News - set to change ownership as part of the deal.
The hashtag #ChangeTheMedia has been used more than 9,000 times on Twitter since Mr Corbyn's ideas emerged.
Ideas for the BBCIdeas for the BBC
There are a series of proposals for the BBC, including publishing the social class of "all creators of BBC content, whether in-house or external". Mr Corbyn also suggested a series of proposals for the BBC, including publishing the social class of "all creators of BBC content, whether in-house or external".
Responsibility for deciding the licence fee could be taken away from ministers and handed to an independent body.Responsibility for deciding the licence fee could be taken away from ministers and handed to an independent body.
He also made the case for a digital top-up to the licence fee, to be paid for by a levy on tech giants and internet service providers, to supplement the existing licence fee with a view to reducing the cost for poorer households. And he said the digital top-up to the licence fee from tech giants could help reduce the cost of the licence fee for poorer households.
BBC staff and licence-fee payers could get to elect some members of BBC national and regional editorial boards - which he said would reduce political influence and empower licence-fee payers. He also suggested:
Analysis
David Sillito, BBC media and arts correspondent
There are two big themes here. One the state of journalism, the other the state of the BBC.
With sales of newspapers dropping, journalism - especially local journalism - is without doubt going through a difficult period.
Extra cash would make a big difference but offering tax breaks and subsidies to 'public interest journalism' brings the challenge of a government deciding what sort of journalism is in the 'public interest'.
Politics also underlies the proposals for the BBC.
Getting rid of the negotiations with the government over the BBC's Charter and handing control over setting the licence fee to an independent body would remove one of the political levers over the corporation.
Elections for BBC Board members would introduce its own political questions.
The underlying point behind all this is Jeremy Corbyn's feeling that the print media and TV and radio news is failing the public - and Labour has not been given fair coverage.
'Not retaliation'
Responding to a question from a journalist about the recent ongoing media coverage of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party, Mr Corbyn said his speech was not an act of "retribution or retaliation" to recent negative reports.
He added that he has "spent his life opposing racism and anti-Semitism in any form".
The Conservatives said Labour's proposals were economically illiterate and would hurt consumers.The Conservatives said Labour's proposals were economically illiterate and would hurt consumers.
"Tech companies would just put up their prices and pass this Internet Tax straight onto families and businesses across the country - adding more pressure to weekly bills," said its deputy chair James Cleverly."Tech companies would just put up their prices and pass this Internet Tax straight onto families and businesses across the country - adding more pressure to weekly bills," said its deputy chair James Cleverly.
Mr Corbyn has long supported a review of media ownership rules amid longstanding concerns within the party about the power of companies such as Rupert Murdoch's News Corp and 21st Century Fox.