Make the McKenzie Connection!

Articles written by Brett Wesner


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  • Big Tech is steamrolling newspapers

    Brett Wesner|Jul 21, 2022

    Google and Facebook have enormous economic and political power in society – especially over the news industry. Many ask if they have played a role in the misinformation that erodes our free press and plagues our democracy. Google and Facebook have a duopoly in the distribution of digital news content, which drives people to their platforms where they make money. The platforms hoard critical data and use clever tactics, like reframing stories in rich previews, to keep users on their sites – siphoning off the advertising revenue that small and...

  • Act would fund business advertising

    Brett Wesner|Sep 2, 2021

    A little-noticed initiative by Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-WA, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-OR and five other senators would boost local jobs, accelerate sales and improve economies. The Local Journalism Sustainability Act, S. 2434, is designed to help local news media support their newsgathering missions. One provision goes far beyond offering aid to community newspapers, local news websites and other news- gatherers. It would help small businesses to dig out of the economic doldrums by supporting their advertising costs in local news outlets, which in turn...