Big tech is damaging the broadcasting industry.
That is the opinion of Seehafer Broadcasting Vice President Terry Stevenson, who is also a member of the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association’s Legislative Committee.
The group was in Washington D.C. recently where they spoke with legislators and the FCC, asking for a seat at the table during discussions with companies like Facebook and Twitter.
Stevenson tells us that, generally speaking, most people get their news from those social media sites, yet there are exactly zero journalists employed by these companies.
“They are not a news organization on any level, but that’s where the vast majority of America is going to get their news,” he said. “Let alone, big tech is not regulated like we are.”
He went on to say that this allows big tech to control the narrative when it comes to news.
“Their algorithms are able to either push stories or hide stories based upon if it fits their narrative. And they can. They are not regulated. It is their platform,” Stevenson explained. “We have been fighting for a long time that they need to start to get regulated, and/or at least allow us to have a seat at the table in conversations with them.”
Another part of the issue that is not as well known revolves around, of course, money.
“We have all the expenses of hiring the people, to go do the stories, and then we air those stories on our platforms, but then also share it up on social media to reach more people. Then, Facebook, and Twitter, and big tech sells advertising based upon our content,” Stevenson explained. “They get 100% of the revenue, and we don’t. Yet their whole platform is based upon our content.”
The WBA does have support on this topic on Capitol Hill and in the FCC, but the issue is divided along party lines.
Stevenson would not specify which party generally goes which way.
If you would like to voice your opinion on this or any of the topics we covered this week, you are encouraged to call Senators Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson as well as your congressman.