The ACMA says the proposed framework was initially outlined in an ACMA 2020 research paper, and was developed in collaboration with leading experts - and n late 2022, the Minister for Communications asked the ACMA t o proceed with scoping the potential implementation of this work.
The ACMA is now seeking views from relevant stakeholders including media companies, digital news and social media platforms, government bodies, academia and consumers on the suitability of its proposed framework, with the consultation open for comment until 5pm (AEDT) Friday 17 March 2023.
“We will also be hosting industry and subject-matter expert roundtables during this period to explore these issues in greater detail.
“n addition to providing a better understanding of media diversity, this work will also build on existing tools and research to measure local news availability across Australia and identify possible areas of concern.”
The ACMA says the project will contribute towards the government’s objective to build a robust evidence base to inform longer term news media policy interventions as part of its News Media Assistance Program (News MAP).
