FTC runs defense on ‘How Will Journalism Survive the Internet Age?’

By Kay B. Day

The reporters' gallery of the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., 1868/ sketched by Theodore R. Davis for Harper’s Weekly. [V. 12, no. 584 (1868 March 7), p. 145.] [Image from LOC digital collection.]The Federal Trade Commission will hold a series of taxpayer funded workshops June 15 at The National Press Club in Washington to tackle the question, ‘How Will Journalism Survive the Internet Age?’  The FTC has already issued a ‘staff discussion draft’ comprising “proposals and public comments articulated during previous panel conversations and in reports and articles about the future of journalism.”

As the blogosphere buzzed over possible repercussions of expanding federal intrusion into media, the government issued a news release the FTC said ‘corrects misinformation’ on the workshops.

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Waxman says government has ‘to be involved’ to help media: a horror story

During hearings on Cap and Trade in April, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) told former speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, "You gotta have some threat sometimes—you have to say to incentivize you, we’re going to give you some assistance, but there are going to be consequences." The exchange illustrated Waxman's disdain for Main Street, in the opinion of some conservatives.[Photo of Waxman screen shot/TUSR.]Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) treads dangerous constitutional waters by declaring “government's going to have to be involved in one way or the other" in order to help struggling media companies. Waxman made that statement, as well as acknowledging such support raises “red flags” when the Federal Trade Commission held a workshop themed on journalism surviving the “Internet Age.”

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FTC news business workshops: Government intrusion on journalism?

The Federal Trade Commission will hold a series of workshops Dec. 1 and 2 themed on the topic "From Town Criers to Bloggers: How Will Journalism Survive the Internet Age?" The workshops were originally scheduled for September. An agenda is forthcoming.  The official release said,

“The workshops will consider a wide range of issues, including: the economics of journalism and how those economics are playing out on the Internet and in print; the wide variety of new business and non-profit models for journalism online; factors relevant to the new economic realities for news organizations, such as behavioral and other targeted online advertising, online news aggregators, and bloggers; and the variety of governmental policies – including antitrust, copyright, and tax policy – that have been raised as possible means of finding new ways for journalism to thrive. Witnesses will include journalists and other representatives of news organizations, privacy experts, direct marketers, online advertisers, academics, new media representatives (such as bloggers and local news Web sites), and consumer advocates.”

Sounds more like a platform for a conference put on by a pro journalism organization.

It is obvious President Barack Obama’s administration will be more engaged with media issues. One example is offered in Chris Carter’s column about Mark Lloyd, the Associate General Counsel and Chief Diversity Officer for the Federal Communications Commission. Judging from his past writings, Lloyd wants to make talk radio more liberal, under the guise of making community broadcasts more (of course) diverse.

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