For some people, all they know about Monopoly is from the classic board game.
If you’ve learned to own not just a business, but an industry, you’ve probably come to the conclusion that monopoly is a good thing. Own all the railroads or utilities, or all the hotels on Park Place and the Boardwalk, and you’re in good shape when other players land on your property and fork over their money.
But the game teaches you exactly what the damage is. The other players – businesses without size and power – are crushed. They win by forcing the competition and absorbing their business.
The problem with monopoly is that it only teaches about what happens to the owners of the business. He says nothing about what is best for his customers or the community.
The law does that. Competition is good for people, so we legislated to prevent monopolies. They are given a choice. It encourages creativity. It also keeps businesses honest about product quality.
The Journalism Competition and Protection Act allows for news publishers.
In the year The bill, first introduced in 2019, aims to find a way for creators of news content — both physical and digital — to collectively negotiate the terms and costs of how an online entity can use and distribute the creator’s work. .
It’s only after they become major news performers that they collect massive platforms for years without creating or paying for them. Meanwhile, huge swathes of the country are suffering from a severe shortage of local news as many small, independent papers wither.
While companies like Google and Facebook have proven to be efficient paperboys, they are also bad editors. The bill could help curb this by putting news agencies that produce reports, articles and research on a more equal footing when negotiating. This news is better for everyone who eats it.
JCPA takes nothing away from Big Tech. It just creates a way for newspapers and other content producers to do business with the online giants in good faith.
Bipartisan members of the U.S. Senate and House Judiciary Committees have introduced revised versions of the bill and plan to take it up in September.
They should do this and get the proposal in front of their entire class as soon as possible. This needs to happen not so that one side or the other wins the game and declares victory, but because of the vital importance of daily local news in people’s lives.
News should never be a monopoly, and without the JCPA, it is in danger of becoming one.
