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Giving unconditional money to private news orgs does nothing to change the incentive structure towards polarizing rage-bait since private companies will optimiz
by hackerlight 3y ago
Giving unconditional money to private news orgs does nothing to change the incentive structure towards polarizing rage-bait since private companies will optimize for the marginal customer. The incentives don't change and hence behavior won't change.
You either need to condition that money or remove the profit motive.
- rhelz 3y agoGood considerations, but news organizations did used to compete on credibility when it was profitable to do so. No doubt the law could be improved, but how? How would you condition the money, specifically? Or if you remove the money, what else can be done to encourage a free market which values the truth?
- hackerlight 3y ago> How would you condition the money, specifically? Or if you remove the money, what else can be done to encourage a free market which values the truth? It is hard to fight an uphill battle against incentives. Truth doesn't sell anymore if the customer base has devolved into an angry, scared, self righteous, polarized, social media addicted mess. Funding non-profits like Wikipedia and public orgs like PBS, and taxing and regulating social media, could be a start. But funding Murdoch unconditionally so he can further contribute to the problem we're trying to solve, doesn't seem like a good path forward.
- rhelz 3y ago// But funding Murdoch unconditionally so he can further contribute to the problem we're trying to solve, doesn't seem like a good path forward. // What can I say? sigh you ain't wrong about that....