Economist Podcasts Swat off the press: Meta v Canada’s news ploy
8 snips
May 17, 2024 
Tom Wainwright, The Economist's tech and media editor, delves into the contentious Meta v Canada news dispute, revealing how regulations meant to aid publishers are backfiring. Catherine Nixie, Britain correspondent for The Economist, reflects on the legacy of Shirley Conran, whose influential works empowered women in diverse areas. They also discuss the stark contrasts between American and European workers, emphasizing differing attitudes toward work-life balance, vacation norms, and labor rights.
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Gugu Quares News Traffic Drop
- Maureen Gugu, owner of Gugu Quares News, lost 75% of her website traffic after Meta blocked news links.
- She also finds it harder to discover stories since less news circulates on the platform.
Mitigating Traffic Loss
- Adam Rayburn from Energetic City mitigated traffic loss by creating a newsletter and an app.
- They also put up posters with QR codes, demonstrating innovative ways to reach readers directly.
Meta's Reluctance to Pay
- While Australia initially succeeded in getting Meta and Google to pay for news, Meta later backtracked.
- Canada's experience and Jesper Doob's insights suggest that Meta may not find the business case for paying for news compelling.
