FTC Seeks Public Comments on the Future of the News Media in the Internet Age

The Federal Trade Commission is seeking public comments in advance of upcoming workshops that will explore the Internet's impact on the news media, including the new avenues for innovation and the financial challenges that it has created for the industry. The FTC is asking for input on a series of questions to be addressed in the workshops, including: How is the Internet changing the way consumers access news and how advertising dollars are spent? What economic challenges do news organizations face today? What cost-cutting measures have news organizations considered? Which have they adopted, and how have they affected the provision of news to consumers? What collaborations are news organizations undertaking or considering to deal with financial challenges brought about by the Internet? How is the Internet changing the way news organizations and others research, write, edit, produce, and distribute news? What innovative forms of journalism have emerged due to the Internet? What are the business models, including the revenue sources, for journalism on the Internet? How are news organizations likely to compete for audience and advertising in the future? Are new or changed government policies needed to support optimal amounts and types of journalism, including public affairs coverage? Should the tax code be modified to provide special status or tax breaks to all or certain types of news organizations? Do current U.S. copyright protections provide enough incentive to create news content? Should the federal government provide additional funding for news organizations? Comments are due November 6.