At a workshop on the future of journalism yesterday, the head of the Federal Trade Commission said the agency is studying ways to help struggling media companies struggle a little less. What might this help look like? It could come in the form of new anti-trust laws, tax breaks, government subsides or even changes to copyright law.
These ideas didn’t sit well with Rupert Murdoch. He said government intervention would only prop up failing news organizations and that anyone who cares about the First Amendment should be “chilled” by the idea of taxpayer money going to journalism. The only thing the government should do, he said, is remove regulations so he can buy up more and more media properties. He also called Arianna Huffington a thief.
