Rupert Murdoch Thinks Facebook Should Pay Publishers

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Things are heating up fast between Facebook and publishers, and media mogul Rupert Murdoch thinks he has the solution: Facebook should pay publishers a “carriage” fee.

Rupert Murdoch knows a thing or two about the media world. And now, following Facebook’s decision to put publishers at a disadvantage, he is calling for the company to pay publishers for the news they produce. In the world of TV, this is what a “carriage fee” is.

His announcement comes after Facebook claimed it would ask users to vote for “trusted publishers” who would then receive special treatment on the News Feed. Murdoch’s point is that if (trusted) publishers are indeed enhancing the value and integrity of Facebook through their news and content, then Facebook has to pay for it.

.@rupertmurdoch: “Carriage payments would have a minor impact on Facebook’s profits, but a major impact on the prospects for publishers and journalists.”

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Murdoch also shared his belief that the actual situation was caused by Facebook and Google themselves. He claims that the platforms have “popularized scurrilous news sources through algorithms that are profitable for these platforms but inherently unreliable.”

It is true that Facebook – and Google to a lesser extent – have failed to solve the fast-growing problem of “fake news.” Facebook’s decision to de-prioritise content from publishers has caused many to reconsider their efforts – both organic and paid – on the platform.

What’s your take on this? Do you miss news posts on your feed?