By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 1-27-22

The Senate Antitrust Subcommittee has scheduled a hearing next week titled “Breaking the News – Journalism, Competition, and the Effects of Market Power on a Free Press.”

The Feb. 2 hearing is likely to include some focus on a proposed Senate bill, the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA), which would grant publishers immunity from federal and state antitrust laws for a 48-month period while they bargain collectively with digital platforms.

Media outlets argue that Big Tech has been using their content without sufficiently compensating them for their investment in original, independent journalism, and sought the antitrust carveout to be able to present a more united negotiating front.  » Read More