In a recent op-ed for the New York Times, David Chavern, president of the News Media Alliance, argues that tech giants have benefited from publishing journalistic content without investing in the news outlets that produce that content. This mismatched relationship has caused severe damage to journalism, particularly in the realm of local news, he says.
Chavern would like to see Facebook, Google and YouTube shift their thinking about their relationships to news organizations. He suggests that these tech companies could start by paying news organizations for the content they re-publish on their platforms, the same as they do to use copyrighted music or live stream sporting events. He also argues that these companies could change their algorithms to promote content from quality publishers rather than questionable sources.