April 9, 2025. At an event for TDs and Senators in Leinster House today, NewsBrands Ireland called on the Government to take decisive and immediate action to protect the future of trusted journalism through robust legislative reform.

Featuring speeches from Sammi Bourke, Chair of NewsBrands Ireland, and representatives from the local news publishing industry, the event highlighted the mounting threats facing local and national news media —from outdated defamation laws and unfair use of journalism by digital platforms, to the growing impact of generative AI and threats posed by misinformation and disinformation.

A panel discussion, chaired by Daniel McConnell, Editor of the Business Post, delved into these issues in depth, with perspectives from Deirdre Veldon, Group Managing Director of The Irish Times; Paul Henderson, CEO of DMG Media Ireland; and Frank Mulrennan, CEO of Celtic Media Group.

Legislation is urgently needed to:

• Protect original journalism from exploitation by AI and tech platforms.
• Reform defamation laws that are among the most restrictive in Europe.
• Enforce fair copyright practices and proper compensation for content.
• Protect freelance journalism and media plurality by excempting freelance journalists from new Revenue guidelines on contract workers

Call to Pass the Defamation (Amendment) Bill

NewsBrands Ireland urges the Government to immediately enact the long-delayed Defamation (Amendment) Bill, which the Programme for Government committed to passing within the first quarter of 2025. The existing legislation hinders investigative journalism due to high costs, unpredictable legal outcomes, and risks for publishers.

“We need to create an environment where journalism can thrive, not one where it is stifled by legal and financial risk,” said Sammi Bourke, Chair of NewsBrands Ireland. “We fully support the provision in the Defamation Bill to abolish juries, as their involvement in trials significantly extends proceedings, drives up legal costs, and leads to unpredictable verdicts.”

Copyright Reform Must Be Strengthened

NewsBrands Ireland is also calling on the Government to revise Ireland’s transposition of the EU Copyright Directive. The current framework fails to compel digital platforms to fairly compensate news publishers for the use of their work.

“We strongly urge Ireland to take more effective action on how the EU Copyright Directive is implemented, so that media organisations here can benefit from its protections, like their EU counterparts.” Ms. Bourke added.

Proposed amendments include mandatory arbitration, enforceable data-sharing provisions, and backdated compensation to the original transposition date of November 2021.

AI Legislation Must Close Copyright Loopholes

The draft EU General-Purpose AI (GPAI) Code must also be revised to ensure transparency and accountability in how AI systems use copyrighted journalism. Current loopholes prevent rightsholders from tracking or enforcing the use of their work.

A Sustainable Model for Public Service Journalism

NewsBrands Ireland emphasises that this is not a call for subsidies or handouts. It is a call for policies that allow journalism to compete and grow in a digital-first environment. Ensuring a sustainable future for journalism requires a framework that protects rights, encourages fair competition, and supports innovation.

ENDS