Report for Ofcom on media plurality and online intermediaries

CRA economists Oliver Latham, Gaber Burnik, Hasnain Khaki and academic Rafael Jiménez Durán have written a report for Ofcom. The report analyses academic literature showing causal links between online news intermediation and negative outcomes for diversity in news consumption. The authors find that the literature supports a causal link between social media news consumption and polarisation. Yet, there is lack of conclusive evidence for other concerns such as the spread of misinformation. The report concludes with recommendations to Ofcom on how to close the evidence gaps, including examining how these algorithms work, so it can take steps to ensure media plurality in the online world.

The report is available here alongside Ofcom’s review of media plurality and online news here.