As Executive Vice President and General Counsel for the News Media Alliance, Danielle Coffey leads the advocacy efforts for the NMA's over 2000 news and magazine publishing members worldwide.
2022 was a busy year for Coffey as the U.S. Congress held committee meetings to consider passage of the well-publicized “Journalism Competition and Preservation Act” (JCPA), introduced in the House (H.R. 1735) by Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) and Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), and in the Senate (S. 673) by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA). If made into law, this legislation, greatly supported by the news publishing industry, would allow news publishers to collectively negotiate with “big tech” platforms like Google and Facebook for fair compensation for using the news content these publishers generate.
The NMA has been promoting a number of cogent arguments as to why the JCPA is necessary to help local news publishers maintain sustainable business models. These "talking points" include:
In mid-December of 2022, it looked like the JCPA might pass into law as an attachment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a necessary bill designed to keep the military funded. However, the legislation was "erased" from the NDAA at the last minute.
Then as a final attempt to help the JCPA become law before the end of the 177th Congress, legislators attempted to attach it to the controversial $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill. However, last-minute lobbying from consumer, trade and civil society advocates like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU); Free Press Action; the Center for Democracy & Technology; and Local Independent Online News Publishers (LION) deluged Congressional leaders with last-minute media that argued against the bill, stating that the JCPA included nothing to guarantee that the monies ultimately paid to news publishers (through negotiation or arbitration) would be used to pay or hire journalists. Their messaging also suggested that the JCPA would favor large media conglomerates, which might “dominate negotiations,” disenfranchising smaller, independent outlets.
In this 169th episode of E&P Reports," we go one-on-one with Danielle Coffey, Executive Vice President and General Counsel for the News Media Alliance (NMA), to gain her perspective on what really happened in 2022 to the nearly passed Journalism Competition and Preservation Act” (JCPA). She'll also address why this controversial legislation, designed to allow news publishers to collectively negotiate with “big tech” platforms like Google and Facebook for fair compensation for their use of the news content they monetize, failed to become the law of the land. Coffey also reviews the next steps the NMA will take to keep this legislation alive and the possible future of other content pending compensation models like publisher tax credits and several pending antitrust suits currently being filed by local media companies.
158 A Texas newspaper acquired by local public broadcasting. A new trend?
157 Celebrating forty years! USA TODAY’s Nicole Carroll talks about four decades of reporting the news in accessible but innovative ways
156 “He runs one of the largest media operations you’ve never heard about.” Meet Kevin Dilley
155 One-on-one with Chris Stirewalt
154 1-on-1 with I Messenger Media's Cheryl Smith, 2022 NABJ Hall of Fame inductee
153 1-on-1 with Mike Barnicle, a frank discussion on covering a democracy in crisis
152 As Trust in T.V. news & newspapers continue to decline, NewsGuard offers “trust ratings” for over 7,500 websites.
151 LBGTQ+ media exec DJ Doran talks niche publishing & his run for mayor of Chicago
150 A one-on-one with Rick Rogers, now six months in as the Owner/ Publisher of Star Local Media
149 Data is fundamental to The Washington Post's “Unaccountable” series
148 Chicago Sun-Times' new executive editor covers a mass shooting in 1st few weeks
147 Meet the new managing editor of Axios Local, Delano Massey
146 Exploring The Tributary, Jacksonville's new nonprofit news outlet
145 “Abernathy Report" confirms the expansion of "news deserts" & misinformation.
144 Meet Juana Summers, NPR’s new cohost of 'All Things Considered'
143 Hearst Connecticut Media is on track to hit 100k paid subscribers
142 Checking in on The Boston Globe’s move into Rhode Island
141 Meet TV star & columnist: Peter Funt. A “Candid” interview.
140 Meet Francesca Chambers, USA Today’s new White House Correspondent
139 Exploring two centuries of “Clash” between presidents and the press
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