Schwartz Media splits with digital alliance over Meta position
Schwartz Media’s exit from the Digital Publishers Alliance illustrates the broad church of interests among Australia’s non-listed media sector, with large representation among lifestyle and special interest publications.
Melbourne-based publisher Schwartz Media has split from the Digital Publishers Alliance over the group’s opposition to having Meta designated under the media code, after the tech giant said it would walk away from lucrative content deals with publishers.
Schwartz Media, which publishes The Saturday Paper, The Monthly and the 7AM podcast, formally gave notice of its decision to step back from the DPA last week after the majority of the coalition’s members reached consensus on concentrating the group’s lobbying efforts in opposition to designating Meta under the News Media Bargaining Code. It is no longer listed on the DPA's website as a member.
“With a growing membership of over 50 of Australia’s leading independent publishers, of course we have healthy internal debates with members on a range of issues. Our diversity is one of our strengths,” Tim Duggan, chair of the Digital Publishers Alliance, told Capital Brief.
“The DPA’s position is that designation would be devastating to smaller and independent publishers if it leads to Meta blocking news on its platform for Australians. It’s something we have been saying privately in every government meeting and publicly in every interview over the past few weeks.”
