NEW YORK (AP) — News outlets are seeking permission from Congress for the right to negotiate jointly with Google and Facebook, two companies that dominate online advertising and online news traffic.
The News Media Alliance, which represents nearly 2,000 news organizations, says because of those two companies’ dominance, news publishers are forced to “play by their rules.”
The outlets want support for subscription models and a bigger share of the online advertising market. The alliance says it would need an exemption from antitrust law to negotiate as a group.
The news industry has been hit with declining print readership and a loss of advertising revenue as it has moved online.
Facebook says it is making progress but has more work to do to help publishers. Google didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Bring back the ‘Trust Busters’!