Agency Activities Amp Up Under Obama Administration -- FTC to Examine the Future of the News Media and Hold Workshop on Privacy

Mirroring the intensity of activity this year on Capitol Hill, the new Obama Administration has fostered a much higher level of activity and interest from federal agencies, including the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission. During the course of this year and its economic turmoil, there has been growing interest in Washington about the future of the news and media industry. Legislators in both the House and Senate have held hearings on the topic, and now the FTC will be getting involved as well. On December 1st and 2nd, the FTC will hold a two day workshop titled “From Town Criers to Bloggers: How Will Journalism Survive the Internet Age?” During the workshop, the FTC will hear from journalists, as well as the legal, academic, consumer and business communities about how the Internet has impacted journalism, and what changes could be made to protect the industry going forward.