U.S. hearing on tech dominance of news outlets will include Microsoft

FILE PHOTO: Microsoft President Brad Smith listens during the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S. February 23, 2021. Demetrius Freeman/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A House Judiciary panel focused on antitrust will hear from three witnesses on Friday who represent a range of news organizations with concerns about how big tech platforms like Facebook and Alphabet’s Google increasingly dominate their industry.

The antitrust subcommittee leading the charge against tech platforms, and in this instance focusing on their relations with news organizations, will also hear from Microsoft President Brad Smith.

Social media companies use news to attract customers and have been accused by news publishers of not sharing enough advertising revenue with them.

Witnesses for Friday’s hearing include David Chavern, head of the News Media Alliance which includes News Corp and USA Today among others; Emily Barr, who represents the National Association of Broadcasters and Graham Media Group, which has 7 local TV stations; and Jonathan Schleuss, president of the NewsGuild-CWA, a union representing journalists, the statement said.

Bipartisan members of Congress are expected to introduce a bill in the near future that will make it easier for smaller news organizations to negotiate better deals with Big Tech platforms and increase their revenues.

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