2019-11-21
WAN-IFRA applies a dual approach to supporting journalism and a free press around the world. We use advocacy to address organisational, political and structural constraints to media freedom, and we help to develop and strengthen the capacity and networks of the media by supporting our members through various projects and activities. This note reflects these two sides of our work and explains how we see our relationship with the platforms.
It is important to recognise that the big platform companies, Google and Facebook, play a central and unique role in today's information ecosystem. The relationship between media companies and platforms is complex. It is characterised by the financial challenges faced by publishers in the context of the duopoly of Facebook and Google in the advertising market. It is also challenged by the disinformation spread on social media that undermines trust in professional journalism, democracy, and foster divisions in society. At the same time, the platform companies are an important infrastructure for the distribution of news as well as a possible new source of revenue.
How and when to work with the platforms is not always an easy question and can create frictions. Indeed, our mission to protect the rights of journalists and publishers means that we have tough conversations when conflicts of interest arise between member publishers and Google or Facebook. It is, however, crucial for WAN-IFRA to find a balance that on the one hand allows critical opinions to be voiced and on the other hand finds ways of working with them to strengthen our sector.
WAN-IFRA takes a proactive role in addressing Google or Facebook when their activities hurt our core principles and the interests of our members.
Like hundreds of other suppliers and technology companies, Google and Facebook are members of WAN-IFRA. They do not have voting rights in our General Assembly of Members, do not sit on the WAN-IFRA Boards, and do not influence our governance or policies. Technology companies membership is intended to create the conditions for cooperation where news publishers, international institutions, tech entrepreneurs and news businesses can work together to preserve the values of a free, independent, sustainable environment for news. Their membership contribution is also an essential support to the funding and execution of our programmes.
When accepting a financial contribution from the platforms or working with them on joint projects, WAN-IFRA follows certain principles that aim to ensure its independence from the platform companies and our members editorial freedom.
We aim to share all resources and learnings with the industry, maximising the impact and helping every media company in the process.
As these examples show, WAN-IFRA's position is to collaborate with big tech players in all areas where we share common interests and can benefit.
To pursue its mission, WAN-IFRA operates with the resources drawn from the income from its conferences, fundraising with public and private donors, as well as from the contribution from its member publishers, associations, and technology suppliers. WAN-IFRA is a purpose-driven and not for profit organisation driven by its members. As such, it is part of our policy to present our financial results, including the contribution of Google and Facebook, in complete transparency. The financial commitments are controlled by the Executive Board that has defined clear rules of procedure and engagement with the management when it comes to our relationship with the tech platforms. Before signing with either Google or Facebook, WAN-IFRA is committed to prospecting a wide range of donors.
While we are engaging with Google and Facebook, it is important that they do not make up a disproportionate share of our revenues. Over the years 2018 and 2019, the cumulative financial contribution of Google and Facebook did not exceed 4% of our global revenues. A level that we consider to be an appropriate contribution to avoid unwise dependence on individual contributors.
In 2019, our newly launched Table Stakes Europe [6] programme represents a significant part of our annual executive programmes budget. The rest stems from the support to other meaningful campaigns like the World News Day [7], and other partnership packages to our events in Europe, Asia, South Asia and Latin America.
By having many sources of funding, we reduce our reliance on any specific resources. One of our priorities for the coming years is to continue our efforts to diversify our funding channels, attract new members and raise funds from new donors with the support and active participation of our Board members. We will also achieve this through the vitality of our members' participation in our international events, and by maintaining and increasing our membership by engaging with new members and increase the value for existing members.
We look forward to tackling the many challenges we have together professionally and constructively. WAN-IFRA is a collaborator and a convener. It's at the heart of everything we do. That role is as crucial as ever, and there is no one standing in the wings waiting to replace us.
Thank you for supporting us on this journey.
Links:
[1] https://blog.wan-ifra.org/2018/06/11/global-media-to-facebook-news-content-is-not-political-advertising
[2] https://www.wan-ifra.org/press-releases/2019/09/26/publishers-right-world-publishers-stand-in-solidarity-with-french-press
[3] https://blog.wan-ifra.org/2019/02/18/taxes-tech-giants-head-start-over-traditional-media
[4] http://www.tablestakes-europe.org
[5] https://mma.wan-ifra.org/
[6] https://blog.wan-ifra.org/2019/11/07/alexandra-borchardt-table-stakes-puts-quality-journalism-at-the-core
[7] https://blog.wan-ifra.org/2019/09/29/forty-newsrooms-celebrate-world-news-day