The Future Of Journalism Is Not A State Subsidy

[Commentary] The Guardian’s David Leigh puts forward the idea that Government legislation should be passed for every British internet service provider to levy an annual £24 tax on their subscribers, which would then be distributed “to ‘news providers’ according to their share of UK online readership.” I have a number of issues with this proposal. Fundamentally this appears to be an older industry asking HM Government and The State to help it survive because a new industry has come along and is making it very hard for them to continue doing what they’ve always done. Some publications have made that transition in the UK and are turning a profit on their websites. Others have not been as successful, such as The Guardian. What if people do not want to have their money subsidize titles like the Daily Mail or The Sun? This wouldn’t be the same situation as the universal TV license fee which supports the BBC and involves strict regulation through the BBC Charter to cover a public service remit. Opting out of watching TV and not paying the license fee is a choice many make in the UK. Supporting a single older industry through a flat Internet tax leaves no room for an opt out. If newspapers get their cut, when will the music industry get theirs? Will book retailers demand a slice as well because the infrastructure of the internet is helping Amazon more than it helps Waterstones?