Workshop - “Can News Media Survive the Internet Age? Competition, Consumer Protection, and First Amendment Perspectives.”

When: 
September 15, 2009
Where: 
Washington, DC

The news industry is in transition. Newspapers have lost much of their classified advertising revenues to online services, and some question how they will weather the development of targeted behavioral and other online advertising, online news aggregators, and other factors. How cable, broadcast, and other news organizations will respond to similar challenges is under discussion. Some predict that in a few years, television and radio will find themselves in situations similar to those facing newspapers.

“Many industries have experienced transitions to new business models in response to new forms of competition on the Internet, and consumers generally have benefitted in the process,” FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz explained. “But the news business may be different because of the First Amendment values at stake. Whether we get our news from ink on paper, TV, radio, laptops, or mobile devices, we need a strong news industry for our democracy to thrive. Bringing together competition, consumer protection, and First Amendment perspectives can help all of us understand how best to serve Americans’ interests given the new realities affecting news organizations.”

Transmission Project