KUALA LUMPUR: A revenue-sharing formula with local media companies will be among possible solutions to be discussed with some tech giants, says Teo Nie Ching.
The Deputy Communications and Digital Minister said the ministry would be in talks to discuss the formula to channel advertising revenue back to local media companies.
She said that advertising revenue by most media has dwindled as most have been taken over by tech giants such as Google.
“It is the ministry’s intention to start engaging the tech giants so that we can emulate other countries – with a formula – whereby the advertising revenues could be channelled back to Malaysian media companies,” she said on Wednesday (Nov 15) in response to a supplementary question by Datuk Mumtaz Md Nawi (PN-Tumpat).
Mumtaz had asked about the government's effort to assist some publication companies who are facing financial issues.
In 2020, local newspaper publishers through Malaysian Newspaper Publishers Association (MNPA) initiated a move to urge international tech companies, Google and Facebook, to share advertising revenue with the publishers.
This move was made following the Australian government who successfully required the tech giants to compensate media outlets for news content on their platforms through ads-revenue sharing.
Indonesian media players followed suit in 2021, urging the platforms to pay local media outlets and publishers to link their content on news feeds or in search results.
In a separate question, Teo said a grievance mechanism will be included in the proposed Media Council Bill to empower media agencies to self-regulate.
She said that under the Bill, the public who are dissatisfied with any news content could file a complaint to the council.
“The goal to establish a Media Council was to ensure media practitioners can self-regulate. Under the proposed Bill, we do have a grievance mechanism where one can lodge a complaint to the Council if they’re not happy with any news reports.
“The Council, under a committee, will scrutinise the complaints and come out with a finding whether it agrees whether the content was ethical or not.
“We hope through the Media Council, we can produce more responsible media practitioners and as an authoritative body to make decisions,” she said in response to Wong Shu Qi (PH-Kluang).
Wong had earlier asked the ministry to state the current status of the establishment of Malaysia Media Council.
Teo said the ministry is hopeful on tabling the Bill by next March after getting approval from the Cabinet and Attorney-General’s Chambers.
She added that currently a series of engagements between the government and stakeholders composed of media practitioners have been done to iron out remaining issues.
