The writer’s contribution at a recent conference on big tech and journalism focused on remedies specifically addressing compensation, both short and long term, relating to data transparency and algorithmic biases on social media platforms.(Photo: iStock) 
It is not only South Africa grappling with the impact of social media platforms on the shifting landscape of traditional media. Recently, representatives from across the world took part in the CTRL+J Latam Big Tech & Journalism – A Global South Perspective Conference in São Paulo, Brazil, to exchange policy developments, unpack research into these industries, hear directly from journalists and share observations from market inquiries into digital markets.
This was my first visit to Brazil, and I was struck by the similarities in the economies of our countries. Even though Brazil’s economy is larger than ours, they face many of the same challenges we do, including on the digital and media fronts. Brazil is currently looking at strengthening its copyright law and competition law as legal tools to deal with the ever-growing issue of concentration in its country and globally, as well as implementing digital policies.
I was part of a panel that explored the urgent question: What does fair compensation for news look like in the digital age?
The panel included representatives from Canada, Denmark, the US and Brazil, all of whom have a stake in building a fairer, more sustainable digital media ecosystem and an interest in gaining a deeper understanding of the short- and long-term remedial actions incorporated in the Provisional Report of the Media and Digital Platforms Market Inquiry (MDPMI).
As the case manager for the Competition Commission of South Africa’s MDPMI and having worked on the concluded Online Intermediation Platforms Market Inquiry (OIPMI), I brought insights such as how platforms like Google extract value from news content, the growing impact of artificial intelligence-powered search and why regulatory frameworks are essential for protecting public interest journalism, especially for smaller and vernacular media.
My contribution focused on remedies specifically addressing compensation, both short and long term, relating to data transparency and algorithmic biases on social media platforms. In addition, I highlighted the important need for longer-term visibility for smaller publications and community media. Engagements with stakeholders during the MDPMI’s information gathering processes identified that media houses, industry experts and journalists remain greatly uncertain about the impact that artificial intelligence will have on the business of media, including information gathering and dissemination, protecting language plurality and information integrity.
Global challenges need globally informed but locally grounded solutions. It is therefore unsurprising that authorities around the world have an eye on South Africa’s experience of media and digital platforms as well as the stakeholder response to the MDPMI Provisional Report. And what they can adapt from that process for their unique contexts.
It is this sense of collaboration and like-mindedness in wanting to protect media diversity that stood out to me throughout the conference. Our panel emphasised that protecting the media and our citizens in our countries should remain of paramount importance as policies are developed to address the evolving impact of tech in the media industry, algorithms and the collection of data. This is not to say that the media industry should not also adapt to change and technology – instead, journalists at the conference emphasised that media plurality should be amplified fairly by tech and leveraged by community and vernacular media to have their voices heard by digital media platforms.
It was educational to hear first-hand how Australian and Canadian regulators are reshaping policy and moving towards tariffs. This conference and building of networks with representatives from around the world has equipped me and the MDPMI team to be at the forefront of developments that are happening around the world.
The timing of the conference could not have been better as the MDPMI Provisional Report recently closed for public comment. Since the release of the provisional report, our team has continued to engage with stakeholders on the proposed remedies and recommendations, discussing unintended consequences and alternative feasible solutions. We are also involved in ongoing engagements with government entities since the best recommendations to support media plurality and protect the country’s media are the ones that are collaborative.
The MDPMI team has engaged with the commentary from media experts, considered global best practices and taken opinions shared by the public on social media under consideration as we continue to work on the final report. Non-confidential submissions and comments from the public and external stakeholders are available on our website. Vamos trabalhar juntos. DM
Noluthando Jokazi is senior case manager at the Competition Commission for the Media and Digital Platforms Market Inquiry.