Coalition for Fair Media
Why the Coalition?
Across the UK, hundreds of independent, local and specialist news and media publishers work every day to keep people informed, hold power to account, and help their communities make sense of the world. Many of these publishers are small businesses, and they play a huge role in our democracy.
Our coalition exists because these publishers are facing a problem they cannot solve alone. Big tech platforms have become the main way people find news. But their dominance in the market has tipped the scales of power. Platforms use publishers' work to power their products, but publishers often receive little or nothing in return. Some can lose up to 90% of their traffic overnight when platforms change their systems for how they refer traffic or compensate publishers, with no warning and no explanation. This puts many newsrooms and the communities they represent at risk.
So we came together to fix this.
Who We Are
We are supporting a group of UK news publisher associations who decided to work together on this issue. Each association represents different kinds of publishers: community newsrooms, digital‑only outlets, specialist magazines, investigative sites and more. Together, we represent hundreds of publishers who reach millions of people. Also see IMA Website.
We work together because we believe everyone deserves access to trusted, independent news and content. And we believe publishers deserve fair treatment when their work is used by powerful platforms.
How We Are Working Together
The coalition is built on a simple agreement: we stand together to protect the rights of publishers and the future of public‑interest journalism. We share evidence, research, and lived experience. We speak with one voice to the government and regulators. And we support each other so that no publisher is left behind.
Who We Are Fighting For
When we say "publishers", it means the people who create original news and content for the public. They might be local reporters covering council meetings, investigative journalists exposing wrongdoing, or community editors telling the stories of neighbourhoods that are often ignored.
These publishers follow recognised industry standards, serve real audiences, and work hard to keep the public informed. Many publishers have very limited resources. They are the ones most harmed when platforms take their content without permission, push AI answers above their links, or change ranking systems without warning.
We want to make sure their work is valued and protected.
The Associations in Our Coalition
Our coalition includes:
Each group brings its own strengths, members and expertise. Together, we form the largest collective voice for independent publishers in the UK.
Who Supports Our Work?
The coalition is supported by organisations that care deeply about democracy, information integrity and a healthy media system. This includes the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust (JRRT), Reset.Tech, and other partners who believe that strong, independent news is essential for a fair society.
Their support helps us carry out research, organise publishers, and push for fair rules that protect the public's right to reliable information.
Understanding the DMCCA
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA) is a new UK law designed to make sure powerful tech companies follow competition law. Under this law, some platforms can be given a special status called Strategic Market Status (SMS). This means they have extra responsibilities because they hold so much power over how people access products and services, and in the case of news, how people find information online.
For publishers, the DMCCA is important because it creates a way to negotiate fair terms and value exchange with platforms. If talks break down, the Digital Markets Unit can step in and make a decision. The goal is to stop platforms from taking content without permission or using their power to squeeze newsrooms out of the market.
If used properly, this law is a major chance to fix the broken relationship between platforms and publishers.
What Has Happened so Far?
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has already confirmed that organisations like Google, Meta and Apple hold huge power over search and over how people reach news. Publishers have shared stories of sudden drops in traffic, sometimes 30–40% in a single night, after a platform changes its systems. Many have also seen their work appear inside AI answer machines, with fewer people clicking through to their websites.
The CMA has created rules to help, but the most important part, the rules about fair payment and fair value, has been delayed by 12 months. This delay puts many smaller publishers at risk because they cannot survive another year of falling traffic and rising costs.
We continue to push for faster action.
What is Happening in Other Countries?
The UK is not alone in the fight for a fair deal for news. Around the world, countries are trying to fix the same problem.
In South Africa, the competition authority has said platforms should pay hundreds of millions of rand to support news. In Australia, the bargaining code led to deals worth around AUD 200 million in the first year, and new laws have just been announced to make platforms pay. In Canada, Google now pays CAD 100 million a year into a national fund. In the United States, California tried to pass a bargaining law, and Google instead agreed to fund a news transformation programme. In Brazil, France, and Spain, governments are also working on ways to make platforms pay fairly for news.
These examples show that change is possible and the UK can learn from them. We continue to monitor the developments in other countries while working on what will work best for UK publishers now and in the future.
Get Involved
Read Our Submissions
The coalition publishes its submissions so everyone can see the evidence and arguments shared with regulators and government. These include the response to the CMA's consultation on Google Search, with further submissions to be added.
Get in Touch
If you want to talk to us, ask questions, or support our work, you can reach us at: info@impressorg.com
Join an Association
If you are a publisher and want to be part of this movement, you can join any of the associations in our coalition. Each one offers support, community and guidance.
Take Part in Our Research
We are running research to understand the value of news, the impact of platform behaviour, and the experiences of smaller publishers. If you would like to take part, we would love to hear from you.