Journalism Royalties: Between Freedom of Information and Economic Justice

By: Tundra Meliala

Chairman of the Indonesian Convergent Media Association (AMKI)

For decades, journalists, lecturers, and even social media activists in Indonesia have lived with one simple belief: as long as the source is cited, quoting journalistic work is lawful and free of charge. This principle has even felt like a “law of nature” in newsrooms and classrooms. However, a new discourse emerging in the revision of the Copyright Law is beginning to shift this long-held principle: quoting may soon mean paying royalties.

The draft revision of the Copyright Law currently being prepared by the Ministry of Law and Human Rights introduces an important idea—that journalistic works are recognized as intellectual creations with economic value. This means that news articles, photos, video reports, or investigative pieces are not only valued as public information but also as professional creations worthy of financial compensation if reused commercially.

“This is a form of appreciation for journalists whose works are taken by others, especially investigative and exclusive works,” said Minister of Law Supratman Andi Agtas.

From Ethics to Economics

Until now, Article 14 of Law No. 19 of 2002 on Copyright allowed the use of current news from news agencies, broadcasters, or newspapers without being considered a copyright violation, as long as the source was properly cited. Journalistic ethics also reinforced this: citing the source was enough, as long as the work was not copied in full.

But the world has changed rapidly. The digital media business model now relies on clicks and algorithms, which makes journalistic works frequently quoted, copied, and even trimmed across various platforms without any compensation. As a result, media outlets lose the potential economic value of their own work.

Data from the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2024 shows that more than 57 percent of readers in Indonesia consume news via aggregators or social media, rather than directly from the original media sites. This practice has reduced media revenue by up to 30 percent over the last five years.

In this situation, the idea of royalties becomes not only reasonable—but urgent.

The World Has Already Moved Ahead

The concept of royalties for journalistic works is not new globally. In the European Union, for example, the EU Copyright Directive 2019 grants economic rights to news publishers for every reuse of their work by digital platforms such as Google News or Facebook. France and Australia even require tech giants to pay royalties to local media outlets.

Meanwhile, in the United States, copyright protection for journalistic works lasts up to 70 years after the creator’s death. Countries like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan apply a 50-year protection period. Some also enforce royalty payments when works are used in commercial contexts, such as advertisements or paid content.

“If we take photos from foreign media without permission, we can immediately be billed in dollars,” said a journalism lecturer in Yogyakarta, reminding his students to be cautious in digital citation practices.

Copyright Revisions and the Challenge of Press Freedom

However, implementing journalism royalties is not a simple matter. The current Press Law stipulates that citation is sufficient as long as the source is mentioned. If a royalty system is introduced, then this provision would need to be expanded or amended to avoid conflicting with the spirit of press freedom and the public’s right to information.

The Press Council, the Legal Aid Institute (LBH) for the press, as well as the Indonesian Convergent Media Association (AMKI) have all emphasized the importance of public participation in the revision process. The experience of the Broadcasting Law revision serves as a lesson: a non-transparent draft can threaten press freedom.

The revision must involve journalists, media organizations, and civil society to ensure fairness and proportionality, so that copyright protection does not turn into a tool for restricting information.

From Appreciation to Balance

Journalism royalties are not meant to silence public access, but rather to restore the intellectual and economic value of journalism that is often ignored today. The digital realm has made news works so easy to copy, share, and monetize by third parties—without any reward to the creators.

If this revision is successfully drafted in a transparent and participatory manner, Indonesia will enter a new phase—an era of fair recognition for journalistic work.

Quoting is no longer just about ethics and politeness, but also about economic justice. Because behind every news story we read, there is time, effort, and human courage that deserves to be valued as more than just a shared link.***

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