WOERDEN, The Netherlands—All Dutch Internet users should pay an additional fee to compensate the costs of online news. This is one of the recommendations of the Brinkman Commission that emerged from an advisory report on print media, published on Tuesday June 23.
The Brinkman Commission advises Ronald Plasterk, Minister of Education, Culture & Science, on ways in which the Dutch government can help the publishers of innovative newspapers. The Commission recognizes a need for structural change in this sector. Increasing numbers of readers, especially the younger generation, read their news online. With fewer readers and declining advertisement revenues, traditional media are having a harder time.
Among other measures it proposes a two euro contribution from every internet subscriber. This money would supplement a government reserve of eight million Euros to be used for new initiatives in journalism, and in the production and distribution of online news.
“In this way it becomes clear that even when services are freely accessible, in one way or another, their are costs made by someone,” states the report.
“We have to abandon the notion that new media are always free,” Elco Brinkman was reported as saying to Dutch media.
In a first reaction, Minister Plasterk told Dutch media that 8 million Euros would be enough and saw no need to tax all Internet users. He said he would study the Commission’s report in detail after the summer recess.
The Brinkman Commission advises Ronald Plasterk, Minister of Education, Culture & Science, on ways in which the Dutch government can help the publishers of innovative newspapers. The Commission recognizes a need for structural change in this sector. Increasing numbers of readers, especially the younger generation, read their news online. With fewer readers and declining advertisement revenues, traditional media are having a harder time.
Among other measures it proposes a two euro contribution from every internet subscriber. This money would supplement a government reserve of eight million Euros to be used for new initiatives in journalism, and in the production and distribution of online news.
“In this way it becomes clear that even when services are freely accessible, in one way or another, their are costs made by someone,” states the report.
“We have to abandon the notion that new media are always free,” Elco Brinkman was reported as saying to Dutch media.
In a first reaction, Minister Plasterk told Dutch media that 8 million Euros would be enough and saw no need to tax all Internet users. He said he would study the Commission’s report in detail after the summer recess.
