E.W. Scripps' Contreras to FTC: Help Newspapers Protect Online Content

Newspapers will have to figure out how to protect and license their content from online poachers -- but the government should support whatever solution is found, Mark Contreras, E.W. Scripps' senior vice president told a workshop sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission Tuesday. Contreras also said the federal government should support the evolution of behaviorally targeted advertising. "Many newspapers offer services which sell a specific audience to advertisers," Contreras said in prepared testimony distributed by the Newspaper Association of America (NAA). "This is especially true in the online space as targeted advertising has become an essential part of the future. Because of longstanding relationships with local communities -- which are based on trust -- newspaper publishers are highly sensitive to consumer concerns about online privacy."