Spaces of Negotiation: Analyzing Platform Power in the News Industry

Abstract

This article develops an analytical framework to examine the contingent power relations between news organizations and platforms. Eschewing one-sided, monolithic perspectives on platform dominance, we instead theorize power as relational. From this perspective, we observe important variations in news organizations’ degree of platform in/dependence. Examining these variations, we propose the concept of spaces of negotiation, which refers to the opportunities available to news organizations to determine how they produce, distribute, and monetize content vis-à-vis platforms. Building on research in journalism studies, platform studies, and related disciplines, we identify three key variables that shape these spaces of negotiation: (1) platform evolution, (2) stage of production, and (3) type of news organization. A systematic analysis of these variables, we contend, allows for a more nuanced, less deterministic understanding of the role of platform companies in transforming the news landscape.