The Attention Merchants

by Tim Wu

"Free diversion in exchange for a moment of your time, sold in turn to the highest-bidding advertiser."

Summary

A history of the attention economy from penny newspapers to Facebook. The business model has never changed: capture attention, resell it to advertisers. News has always been a byproduct of this transaction.

Why This Fits LindyFact

Understanding the economics of attention helps explain why most news optimizes for clicks, not truth.

Also by this author

The Master Switch (2010)