inevitably been hit badly by the lockdown of our communities. Instead, in acknowledging its role as an essential public service, we need to re-imagine our media industry, into one that is revived and restored.


For that we need a triage plan of intervention and investment – one that includes actions to stem the immediate damage being wrought, then tackles historic wounds and, prioritises creating a healthy diverse press, focussed squarely on the public good, sustained now and into the future.


Tis investment and support must, of course, be given without any connection to decision-making on editorial content.


Journalists are not seeking handouts or compensation for the industry – we are looking for investment in our future to transform the media industry, make it fit for our collective purpose and truly serve the public good.


How would we be beter served by a renewed media? All citizens should have access to easily-understood reporting of important decisions taken on our behalf – about defence, health, education and social care services, as well as the administration of justice, provision of transport, and economic planning. Tis should be sufficiently granular that the impact on our families and communities


SHORT-TERM MEASURES •


Windfall tax of 6 per cent on the tech giants, to fund short term measures in a News Recovery Plan, with an ongoing proportion of a Digital Services Tax going towards the plan’s long term measures


•


Jobs for journalists tax credits and interest free loans – a 2-year targeted programme for frontline journalistic news roles to support reporting through the Covid-19 crisis and recovery


•


No public money for firms making redundancies,


cuting pay, curtailing frontline journalistic roles, taking executive bonuses or blocking trade union organisation


•


Companies receiving public funds are prohibited for five years from engaging in mergers and acquisition activity or leveraged buyouts that result in job losses or pay reductions


•


Strategic investment in government advertising, including the hyperlocal sector, involving central and local


governments and the NHS / HSE.


•


Financial support package for innovative, public interest journalism, providing a lifeline to smaller enterprises – via the Future News Fund operated by NESTA in the UK, with a similar initiative called for in Ireland


•


Free vouchers for online or print subscriptions to all 18 and 19 year olds and tax credits for households with subscriptions to boost engagement and fight back against disinformation


is evident and can be understood without any specialist background.


Implicit in this is the responsible and dependable reporting of the work of those who serve us such


as members of the UK and Irish parliaments, devolved parliaments and administrations, local authority councillors, members of Health Boards, and Police and Crime commissioners and other bodies.


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