• by Ray Schultz , August 24, 2022

Most Americans favor passage of the Journalism Competition & Preservation Act, a bill that would allow small publishers to negotiate collectively with the big tech giants like Facebook and Google for fair compensation for their content.  

A new poll by Schoen Cooperman Research found that 70% support passage. Only 12% oppose it, and 18% had no opinion when they heard description.

The bipartisan bill is headed for Senate mark-up Sept. 8.

The bill features two new elements, in contrast to earlier versions, said Danielle Coffey, executive vice president & general counsel, News/Media Alliance, during a webinar on Wednesday.  

One is an enforcement mechanism modeled after law in Australia. The other is that the JCPA refocuses on local news outlets with no more than 1,500 employees.   

The survey by Schoen Cooperman also found that 64% of Americans say the bill is important, and 45% are more likely to support a candidate who supports it. 

Moreover, 60% believes JCPA gives small and local news media more tools to fight against Big Tech companies.  “That’s a strong endorsement in my judgement of the equity behind the JCPA,” said Douglas E. Schoen, founder and partner, Schoen Cooperman Research.   

The survey covered both blue and red states. In Colorado, 69% support JCPA. And in Louisiana, 64% are for it.  

In general, 79% of respondents said Big Tech has too much power, and 76% believe it is driving small and local media out of business, reported Chris Reen, president & CEO of Clarity Media Group. 

Reen charged that “Big Tech does everything it can to make sure that users never leave its platform.”

The bill would result in much-needed financial support for local news media while strengthening democracy, the speakers concluded.  In Australia, publishers received A$140 million, which would probably mean billions of dollars in the U.S., Coffey said.