[Federal Register: October 7, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 193)]
[Notices]               
[Page 51605-51608]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07oc09-68]                         
 
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
 
 
Public Workshops and Roundtables: From Town Crier to Bloggers: 
How Will Journalism Survive the Internet Age?
 
AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission.
 
ACTION: Notice Announcing Public Workshops and Opportunity for Comment.
 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
SUMMARY: The Federal Trade Commission (``FTC'' or ``Commission'') 
announces that it will hold two days of public workshops on December 1 
and 2, 2009, to examine the Internet's impact on journalism in 
newspapers, magazines, broadcast television and radio, and cable 
television. The Internet has changed how many consumers receive news 
and altered the advertising landscape. Low entry barriers on the 
Internet have allowed new voices of journalism to emerge; the Internet-
enabled links from one web site to another have given consumers easy 
access to all types of news; efficiencies available through the 
Internet have substantially reduced advertising costs. These and other 
changes related to the Internet have benefitted consumers greatly.
    At the same time, however, lower online advertising costs have 
reduced advertising revenues to news organizations that rely on those 
revenues for the majority of their funding. The explosion in the number 
and types of web sites has increased the supply of advertising 
locations. As that supply has increased, advertisers now pay less for 
online advertising, and some advertising has moved from print, 
television, or radio to online sites. In addition, most online news is 
offered free, so online readers of news frequently do not contribute 
subscription revenues to news media.
    These developments are challenging the ability of news 
organizations to fund journalism. The workshops will consider a wide 
range of issues, including: (1) the economics of journalism on the 
Internet and in more traditional media; (2) how the business models of 
different types of news organizations may evolve in response to the 
challenges associated with the Internet; (3) innovative forms of 
journalism that have emerged on the Internet; (4) how competition may 
evolve in markets for journalism and advertising; and (5) changes in 
governmental policies that have been proposed as ways to support 
journalism.
    The Commission seeks the views of the news media and the legal, 
academic, consumer, and business communities on the issues to be 
explored at the hearings. This notice poses a series of questions on 
which the Commission seeks comment.