On Wednesday, April 3, House Antitrust Chairman David Cicilline (D-RI) and Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, introduced the “Journalism Competition and Preservation Act.”
The bill would provide a limited safe harbor for news publishers to collectively negotiate with Facebook and Google for better business arrangements.
Currently, the duopoly is capturing 90% of all digital ad revenue growth and approximately 60% of total U.S. digital advertising, according to a statement from the News Media Alliance.
“The free press is a cornerstone of our democracy. Journalists keep the public informed, root out corruption, and hold the powerful accountable,” Cicilline said in the release. “This bill will provide a much-needed lifeline to local publishers who have been crushed by Google and Facebook. It’s about time we take a stand on this issue.”
