NewsBrands Ireland, which represents news publishers, has called on general election candidates to "support the vital role of public journalism" in the democratic process.
The organisation has also said candidates must “safeguard citizens” from fake news and the spread of misinformation.
Ann Marie Lenihan, chief executive of NewsBrands Ireland, said without "credible" sources of news "public trust and democracy are undermined".
“Now, more than ever, it is vital that quality journalism is protected because democracy is about voters making an informed choice at the ballot box and that can only happen if there are credible sources of news, where information is factual, trustworthy and accurate,” she said.
"Without a vibrant local and national news publishing industry, who will report on the courts, the Oireachtas, the county councils, local and national sporting events, raise awareness of important societal issues and campaign for change?"
Newspaper readers
According to NewsBrands Ireland, the news publishing industry has created 4,600 jobs and generated €135 million in exchequer revenues.
About 2.6 million people (69 per cent of the population) read a newspaper or news website at least once a week, it said.
Meanwhile, €14 is the typical spend by a newspaper purchaser in their local shop, equal to an annual value of €1.9 billion to the retail sector.
NewsBrands Ireland is seeking “practical support” from the Government to ensure “fake news can be combated by the trusted journalism produced by news publishers”.
The organisation has called for a reduction in VAT on newspapers and digital news products to 5 per cent, with an ultimate reduction to 0 per cent.
It also wants the brief of the Minister for Communications to include all media, and not just the broadcasting sector, ensuring they have “full oversight of our complex media landscape”.
NewsBrands Ireland also wants the “long overdue review” of the Defamation Act and reform of the State’s “draconian defamation laws”.
