This website examines the history of attempts to copyright the news in the U.S., focusing on the “hot news” doctrine, which says that factual, time-sensitive information should be considered protected as a “quasi-property” for as long as that information may provide its creator an economic benefit. An interactive timeline shows notable technological innovations and court cases that have helped shape the current news landscape and copyright arguments, and a context page pulls together research of scholars over time to show how the history of copyrighting the news continues to repeat itself. In the digital age, is this legal strategy the best solution for saving the news industry? Or could there be a better way?
Mary Bakija is currently pursuing an MLIS at Pratt, where she's also president of the student chapter of the American Library Association. She has a background in online journalism, and as a result is interested in information access and policy, and is often thinking about the ways we might preserve web content.
Latest posts by Mary Bakija (see all)
- A Brief History Of Hot News - April 21, 2019