Content Aggregation by Platforms: The Case of the News Media

Working Paper No. 21404 The digitization of content has led to the emergence of platforms that draw information from multiple sources. Policymakers are concerned that these new platforms threaten incentives for the production of original content. As a result, policymakers are contemplating regulatio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:NBER Working Paper Series 2015-07, p.21404
Main Authors: Chiou, Lesley, Tucker, Catherine
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Consumer behavior
Consumers
Copyright
Digitization
Economic theory
News media
Pulitzer prizes
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Summary:Working Paper No. 21404 The digitization of content has led to the emergence of platforms that draw information from multiple sources. Policymakers are concerned that these new platforms threaten incentives for the production of original content. As a result, policymakers are contemplating regulations that would force aggregation platforms to pay or require an explicit "opt-in" for content providers. To understand the possible consequences and underlying rationale of such laws, we explore whether aggregation of content by a single platform encourages users to "skim" content or to investigate in depth. We study a contract dispute that led a major aggregator to remove information from a major content provider. We find that after the removal, users were less likely to investigate additional, related content in depth, particularly sources that were horizontally or vertically differentiated.
ISSN:0898-2937
DOI:10.3386/w21404