POLITICIANS MUST AXE MEDIA VAT

JOURNALISM MATTERS. It’s much more than a slogan, as readers, subscribers and even politicians will agree.

When it comes to wholesome virtues like truth and transparency, and the role of the media in revealing and safeguarding them, there is never a shortage of TDs and senators to declare themselves on the side of the angels – Now they can prove it. Supporting a campaign to abolish VAT on newspapers and digital subscriptions is the most potent way that this Government, and deputies on all sides of the Dáil, can show their backing for the media.

The challenges within this industry are well-aired but acute, and the risk from global social media behemoths is everpresent, too.

Eliminating this particular VAT will not solve all the media’s problems, but it would constitute a measure of fairness, and it would also allow the body politic to put flesh on meaningful words about the value of journalism.

It’s time to step up.