The “seismic shift” happening in Australian media which will see tech giants pay mainstream news outlets for their content is a welcome addition to the media landscape, says Sky News host Peter Gleeson.

“For years, big tech giants like Google and Facebook have been siphoning off content from mainstream media outlets and they then run it on their platforms,” Mr Gleeson said.

“They essentially steal it, sell ads around it and make money from the rich and varied content; now the Australian Government is doing something about it.”

Mr Gleeson pointed to the new laws – likely to be passed through Parliament soon – which will mandate payment from big tech to the content originators.

“This is world-first legislation by the Morrison Government … and it is being watched closely around the globe,” he said.

“The laws are a welcome addition to the media landscape and the code will extend the life of quality journalism, that’s important.”