Weak antitrust enforcement set the stage for Facebook and Google to extract the fruits of publishers’ labor. We won’t be able to save journalism and solve our disinformation problem unless we weaken monopolies’ power.
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Managing the Economic and Social Impact of the Digital Revolution
The four reports that will be presented at the Stigler Center’s Digital Platforms, Markets and Democracy conference offer a compelling case for regulatory action and a very powerful array of solutions.
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How to Protect the News Media in the Age of Digital Platforms
Digital platforms present a new formidable threat to the news media that market forces will not correct if left to their own devices. The media subcommittee of the Stigler Center’s Digital Platforms Project proposes ways to strengthen independent, strong, and rigorous accountability journalism.
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How the Legal System Helps the Media Hold the Powerful to Account
The legal system is the bloodline of investigative journalism. Recent maneuvers by the Trump administration may jeopardize it.
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“Emmanuel Macron Is Not a Liberal, He Just Pretends to Be”
The French president found himself under fire following an attempted police raid on the offices of the investigative news site Mediapart. While many around the world were shocked, Mediapart’s journalists themselves were not entirely surprised.
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The News Media’s Business Model of Extortion
The Jeff Bezos vs. The National Enquirer scandal highlights the role that extortion may play in the business model of some news outlets.
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Announcing the Participants in the 2019 Stigler Center Journalist in Residence Program
In March, the Stigler Center will welcome eight world-class journalists from France, Australia, India, China, Italy, Uganda, and the United States for an intensive 12-week program of professional development at Chicago Booth.
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Editors’ Briefing: This Week in Political Economy (December 9-16)
Congress misses an opportunity to scrutinize Google; the IRS is on life support; Johnson & Johnson reportedly knew for decades that its baby powder contained asbestos; the British Labour Party considers a break-up of the Big Four accounting firms; and will Obamacare once again be upheld by the Supreme Court?
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Editors’ Briefing: This Week in Political Economy (November 4-11)
The costliest midterm election in US history ends with a victory for Democrats—and for money in politics in general; Amazon and Apple crack down on third-party refurbishers, raising antitrust concerns; and was Amazon’s HQ2 stunt really just a “con”?
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Brazil’s Election Is Yet Another Indication That Facebook Is Too Big to Manage
Facebook’s failure to curb the massive disinformation campaign that preceded Jair Bolsonaro’s election victory shows that it is unable to control the dangerous consequences of its own dominance.
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Digital Platforms’ Targeting Tools Are Opaque and Potentially Dangerous
A lawsuit claims that Facebook inflated video metrics to lure advertisers. Facebook denies, but it’s worth noting that it would be much easier for Facebook to defraud advertisers than for any of its predecessors in traditional media.
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Editors’ Briefing: This Week in Political Economy (October 20-27)
Corporate executives warm up to Brazil’s far-right presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro; the US is developing into a “plutocracy,” says former Fed chairman; Tim Cook blasts Silicon Valley’s “data-industrial complex”; and what is McKinsey’s relationship with Saudi Arabia?
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