Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch: Facebook should pay for trusted news
WASHINGTON: Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch said that large online platforms such as Facebook should pay "trusted" news organisations as part of efforts to improve credibility.
In a statement issued by his News Corp, Mr Murdoch offered up his idea as a way to boost trust in online news and support journalism, using the "carriage fee" model in the cable TV industry.
"Facebook and Google have popularised scurrilous news sources through algorithms that are profitable for these platforms but inherently unreliable," he said.
"I have yet to see a proposal that truly recognises the investment in and social value of professional journalism."
RANK
His comments come days after Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg unveiled plans for the social network to enlist its user base to rank the quality of news sources to curb the spread of false news.
Mr Murdoch said: "We will closely follow the latest shift in Facebook's strategy...
"There is still a serious lack of transparency that should concern publishers and those wary of political bias at these powerful platforms."
The 86-year-old, who is executive chairman of News Corp as well as the media-entertainment group 21st Century Fox, added that "the time has come to consider a different route".
"If Facebook wants to recognise 'trusted' publishers, then it should pay those publishers a carriage fee similar to the model adopted by cable companies," he said.
"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."- AFP
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