The tech lobby: Tracing the contours of new media elite lobbying power

Abstract

This article traces the contours of media elite power via tech industry lobbying of the U.S. government. Tech companies wield considerable influence over digital communications, and the success of their lobbies in accomplishing policy goals reflects their ability to maintain and expand that power. The analysis reveals the depth and pervasiveness of their political influence; a proxy for media elite power. Exploring the ideological framing of the issues on which these companies lobby offers insights into how this power operates, subsuming the public interest under corporate priorities. Finally, analyzing tensions between state and lobby interests reveals both the implications of their political activity and the contours of lobbying as an instrument of media elite power.