Media mogul Rupert Murdoch recently stated his belief that Facebook should pay publishers on their platform, “similar to the model adopted by cable companies,” while at the same time attacking both Facebook and Google for the rise of “scurrilous news sources.”
Variety reports that Rupert Murdoch, the billionaire owner of News Corp and CEO of Fox News, recently stated his belief that Facebook should adopt a “carriage fee” similar to the cable network payment model. In a statement provided by News Corp, Murdoch said, “If Facebook wants to recognize ‘trusted’ publishers then it should pay those publishers a carriage fee similar to the model adopted by cable companies.” Murdoch continued to say, “The publishers are obviously enhancing the value and integrity of Facebook through their news and content but are not being adequately rewarded for those services. Carriage payments would have a minor impact on Facebook’s profits but a major impact on the prospects for publishers and journalists.”
Murdoch also attacked both Facebook and Google for popularizing “scurrilous news sources through algorithms that are profitable for these platforms but inherently unreliable.” Murdoch stated that “the remedial measures that both companies have so far proposed are inadequate, commercially, socially and journalistically.” He then commented on Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg saying, “I have no doubt that Mark Zuckerberg is a sincere person, but there is still a serious lack of transparency that should concern publishers and those wary of political bias at these powerful platforms.”
If Rupert Murdoch sounds like a leftist with a serious case of sour grapes over the success the alternative and “new right” news media have achieved on Facebook, that falls in line with some of his other recent positions.
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