Donald Trump’s frequent railings about “fake news” have gone viral, possibly even more so than the so-called “fake news” itself.

For some, however, the proliferation of fake news on digital platforms is a serious problem. And many are asking whether it is a problem caused by the power of Facebook and Google over when, where and how we consume news.

This episode investigates the meaning of the now often used, if not abused, term “fake news”. It explores whether this is a phenomenon that relates to competition and, if so, whether it is a reflection of too little competition, or indeed, too much. 

The episode features observations and insights from various commentators.  If you would like to listen to the full accounts, you can find them as follows:

Donald Trump

Vergel Santos, Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility

Roger McNamee, Elevation Partners

Craig Silverman, BuzzFeed

Sally Hubbard, Capitol Forum

Mark Thompson, New York Times

Tim Wu, Columbia Law School

Featuring regular cut-through interviews with leading thinkers, movers and shakers, Competition Lore is a podcast series that engages us all in a debate about the transformative potential and risks of digitalised competition.

Join Caron Beaton-Wells, Professor in Competition Law at the University of Melbourne, to tackle what it means to participate as a competitor, consumer or citizen in a digital economy and society.

Competition Lore is produced by Written & Recorded.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.