The Oregon Journalism Rescue: How SB 686 Aims to Make Big Tech Pay Its Fair Share

The digital age has been both a blessing and a curse for journalism. While the internet has democratized access to information, it has also gutted traditional revenue streams for local newsrooms. Enter SB 686, Oregon’s bold legislative play to force tech giants like Google and Meta to cough up $122 million annually to support the very journalism they profit from. Think of it as a Robin Hood move for the news industry—except instead of stealing from the rich, Oregon is just asking them to pay rent.
This isn’t just about fairness—it’s about survival. Local news outlets are vanishing at an alarming rate, leaving communities in the dark on everything from city council meetings to school board scandals. Meanwhile, Big Tech rakes in ad dollars by aggregating and monetizing news content without adequately compensating the journalists who produce it. SB 686, inspired by similar laws in California, Canada, and Australia, aims to rebalance the scales. But will it work? And what’s at stake if it doesn’t?

The Case for Big Tech Paying Up

1. The Parasite Problem: Tech’s Free Ride on Journalism

Let’s call it what it is: Google and Meta have been freeloading. They scrape headlines, summarize articles, and serve them up in search results and social feeds—all while keeping the lion’s share of ad revenue. Newsrooms do the heavy lifting (investigating, fact-checking, writing), but the platforms pocket the profits.
SB 686’s logic is simple: If you benefit from the product, you should pay for it. The $122 million annual fee isn’t charity—it’s a usage fee, akin to licensing music or paying royalties. And given that Google parent Alphabet made $307 billion in revenue last year, this ask is a rounding error for them.

2. The Civic Crisis: What Happens When Local News Dies?

A democracy without journalism is like a self-checkout line with no cameras—ripe for exploitation. Studies show that when local news vanishes:
– Voter turnout drops (fewer people know what’s happening).
– Corruption rises (no one’s watching the watchdogs).
– Misinformation spreads (Facebook groups fill the void with rumors).
Oregon’s bill isn’t just about saving jobs—it’s about saving civic knowledge. If Big Tech won’t fund journalism voluntarily, laws like SB 686 might be the only way to keep the lights on.

3. Precedent & Pitfalls: Lessons from Australia & Canada

Oregon isn’t reinventing the wheel. Australia’s News Media Bargaining Code forced Google and Meta into paying publishers, resulting in $200 million in deals for newsrooms. Canada followed suit, though Meta retaliated by blocking news links—a move that backfired when public outrage forced them to backtrack.
The key lesson? Tech companies will push back, but they can be pressured into paying. The question is whether Oregon’s bill is strong enough to withstand lobbying and legal challenges.

The Counterarguments: Why Big Tech Hates SB 686

1. The “Open Web” Defense (And Why It’s BS)

Tech companies argue that paying for news links violates the spirit of the open internet. But let’s be real—this isn’t about idealism. It’s about not wanting to share revenue. Google and Meta already pay for music, movies, and patents—why should journalism be free?

2. The “Who Gets Paid?” Dilemma

Not all newsrooms are created equal. Should hyperlocal blogs get the same cut as established papers? SB 686 proposes a third-party administrator to distribute funds fairly, but skeptics worry about bureaucracy slowing things down.

3. The Nuclear Option: Could Tech Just Blacklist Oregon News?

Meta’s playbook in Canada shows they’re willing to cut off news entirely rather than pay. If they do the same in Oregon, it could backfire—but in the short term, it could hurt small publishers who rely on social traffic.

The Bottom Line: Will SB 686 Save Journalism?

SB 686 isn’t a silver bullet, but it’s a necessary step in rebalancing the digital economy. The real test will be whether other states follow—because if enough do, Big Tech won’t have a choice but to pay up.
For now, Oregon’s bill is a litmus test for journalism’s future. If it passes, it could set a precedent for fair compensation nationwide. If it fails? Local news may keep sliding into oblivion—and we’ll all be worse off for it.
The stakes are high, but one thing’s clear: Big Tech’s free ride needs to end. Whether SB 686 is the answer remains to be seen—but it’s a fight worth having.