Is internet shopping like The Truman Show–a movie about a man who thinks himself free, but whose life is actually controlled by a TV producer? Are we online consumers like Truman Burbank, hopelessly and blissfully naive while titanic companies control our fate? Are the prices we pay online a function of a competitive market, or are our choices framed in ways we don’t quite fathom? These provocative questions are posed in a fascinating book about how platform internet companies (Amazon, Facebook, and so on) are changing the norms of economic competition. Virtual Competition: The Promise and Perils of the Algorithm-Driven Economy argues that these companies, with their immense data advantage, are effectively making their own rules in the marketplace, beating back new market entrants, and disadvantaging customers. As the internet took off in the 1990s, it was said, by some dreamy-eyed commentators, to be a giant-killing, democratic medium–a sort of anti-Walmart. You could start a business from your bedroom. You could win a $100 million in venture capital while still in your bathrobe. The internet was to emancipate commerce and to embody Adam Smith’s “invisible hand”–the beneficial, and mutual, economic effect that comes from people acting aggressively in their own self-interest. “We have no idea about how, and the extent to which, we are being exploited.” [Photo: © 1998 Paramount Pictures/IMDB]In Virtual Competition, economists Ariel Ezrachi and Maurice Stucke document the... Continue reading at 'Fast Company'
[ Fast Company | 2017-08-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook is in retreat mode these days as it continues to battle fake news. The social media juggernaut has decided to move away from digital publishers as a way of distancing itself from the internal problems it has been having for years. Facebook made a bold move by making a significant... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2018-03-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A majority of top publishers continue to post live videos to Facebook each month, according to data from Socialbakers. The post Despite subsidies disappearing, some publishers see hope for Facebook Live post-algorithm change appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2018-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Digiday Research conducted an online survey to see if Facebook's news feed algorithm would help or hurt publishers. The post Digiday Research poll: Facebook’s algorithm change isn’t all bad for publishers appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2018-02-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The 28-year-old university graduate stood in front of a bookstore window in central Tehran, pretending to browse the titles on the shelves. He really was looking out for Iranian security forces sent to quash anti-government protesters. Kambiz, who gave only his first name, earned a physics degree... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The British publishing industry contributed £3.2bn gross value added (GVA) to the wider UK economy in 2016, according to the chief executive of the Publishers Association Stephen Lotinga. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Washington, D.C.’s laser-focused publishers are eager to shape the world around us. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-11-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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More transparency around career paths would help a wider range of people access roles in the industry, panellists at the Building Inclusivity in Publishing conference said yesterday (13th November). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-11-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bookshops contribute £1.9bn to the UK economy every year and pay 11 times more corporation tax than Amazon, according to statistics published in a new report commissioned by the Booksellers Association. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-09-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Rick Warren is back in the top 10 in Religion Nonfiction with his perennial favorite, ‘The Purpose Driven Life.’ Plus, James Patterson debuts on PW’s Religion Fiction Bestsellers list with the paperback edition of ‘Woman of God.’ Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-08-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A "massive deficit" of brand building is dragging down the economy, according to Irwin Gotlieb, global chairman of GroupM.When the history books get written on the last 15 years, Irwin told me in a video interview for his induction into the Advertising Hall of Fame, "I think they will say that... Continue reading at Advertising Age
[ Advertising Age | 2017-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers are responding to the surge in audiobook downloads by investing more in the sector, hiring new staff, upping the number of titles they publish and exploring audio-first opportunities. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-04-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Novelist Donal Ryan is the latest name forced to seek an income outside books, while children’s writers complain that stars from other media monopolise advancesDespite scoring three bestsellers in five years and a clutch of awards, The Spinning Heart author Donal Ryan has been forced to return... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-02-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Eason plans to continue to open new stores “despite the fragile economic recovery,” its m.d Conor Whelan has revealed, beginning with a store in Limerick and another in Dublin. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-01-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Report finds that newsbrands generated £4.8bn revenue, supported 87,500 jobs and invested £97m in digital services while holding power to accountThe news publishing industry contributed £5.3bn to the UK economy in 2015, according to a Deloitte report commissioned by the News Media Association... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-12-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Abrams has announced plans to launch an as-yet-unnamed imprint with a focus on narrative nonfiction. Jamison Stoltz has been brought aboard as executive editor, effective immediately. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-10-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Transworld has acquired an "insider's guide" to algorithms as part of a two-book deal in a pre-emptive six figure bid. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-10-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How the 40-year-old business magazine adapted to meet 21st-century market demands. The post Inside Chief Executive’s Data-Driven Evolution appeared first on Folio:. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2016-10-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Education company Pearson and innovation foundation Nesta are partnering on a research initiative to predict skills needed for employment in 2030 and the implications this has on learning. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-08-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Today's media landscape is undergoing enormous, exciting change. In many ways, we have evolved from a "social first" to "social only" strategy. Christian L. Tom, NowThis Media Alex Fine It's an understatement to say that the current media climate is in flux. In fact, with ever-growing... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2016-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The social network is a fact of life for any company that creates content. And the new reality will require lots of adjustment.The day many marketers and publishers have dreaded has arrived: Facebook is changing its algorithm to send less traffic to content sites.Read Full Story Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2016-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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