Tim Wu, a professor at Columbia University and author of 'The Attention Merchants,' joins journalist Madeleine Brand for a deep dive into how our attention is monetized. They discuss the rise of attention merchants, exploring history from the Rattlesnake King's advertising antics to the emotional tactics used in modern political campaigns. The conversation addresses the impact of social media algorithms on news and the ethical dilemmas in marketing, revealing how pervasive consumerism influences our society and identity.
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insights INSIGHT
Three Steps to Capture Attention
Winning attention is the primary step in any campaign, achieved by being outrageous or unusual.
Following that, understanding and appealing to the audience's strongest emotions is key to holding their attention.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Clark Stanley's Snake Oil Show
Clark Stanley, the rattlesnake king, used a traveling snake oil show to attract audiences and sell miracle cures.
His showboating and exotic image captured people's attention and set the foundation for modern advertising.
insights INSIGHT
Manufactured Fear in Advertising
Advertising shifted to women by inventing fears like bad breath to sell products such as Listerine.
Marketers created problems to then offer their products as solutions for social acceptance and attractiveness.
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In 'The Attention Merchants', Tim Wu explores the history and impact of the industries that feed on human attention. Starting from the 19th century with Benjamin Day's penny newspapers, Wu traces the evolution of advertising through various media, including radio, television, and the internet. He argues that the basic business model of 'attention merchants' has remained constant: offering free diversion in exchange for moments of attention, which are then sold to advertisers. The book also examines the societal and psychological effects of this attention economy and the various revolts against it[2][3][4].
The Master Switch
The Rise and Fall of Information Empires
Tim Wu
In 'The Master Switch,' Tim Wu explores the pattern of how new communications technologies are introduced by innovators and eventually coopted by major corporate interests, leading to centralized control and the loss of openness and freedom. The book chronicles this cycle through various mediums such as radio, telegraph, telephone, and film, and questions whether the internet will follow the same path. Wu advocates for a 'Separations Principle' to keep content, communications, and electronics industries separate to prevent monopolistic control and ensure the continued openness of the information economy.
Propaganda
Edward Bernays
In 'Propaganda,' Edward Bernays lays out his vision for using propaganda to influence various aspects of society, including government, politics, art, science, and education. The book discusses the 'conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses' as an essential element in democratic society. Bernays argues that this manipulation is carried out by an 'invisible government' of professional propagandists who shape public thoughts, values, and responses. The book explores the psychological and social science basis of propaganda and its application in different fields, highlighting its potential for both beneficial and detrimental uses[2][3][5].
In nearly every moment of our waking lives, we face a barrage of advertising enticements, branding efforts, sponsored social media, commercials, and other efforts to harvest our attention. In his new book, The Attention Merchants, Tim Wu, author of the award-winning The Master Switch who coined the phrase "net neutrality," explores the rise of firms whose business models are the mass capture of attention for resale to advertisers. Wu visits ALOUD for a revelatory look at the cognitive, social, and unimaginable ways that industries feeding on human attention are transforming our society and ourselves.
ALOUD @ Los Angeles Public Library 
