And it has set off a chain of events that could shift the balance of power between big tech and the news at a dire moment for journalism. The battle between platforms and publishers is at once a matter of economic principle and an old-fashioned political brawl between powerful industries. Sims said he had never talked to Murdoch, though a spokeswoman confirmed that News Corp submitted recommendations to the inquiry. And while Facebook is paying publishers directly, Google has mainly handed out grants for experimental journalism projects built around Google’s technology. At worst, forced payments from platforms could merely prop up fading newspapers at the expense of new ways of telling stories and doing business.

Source: bd News24 May 11, 2020 08:56 UTC