The Master SwitchThe Rise and Fall of Information

EmpiresTim Wu

History of Phones, Radio, TV and Internet in USA

What is a “Master Switch”?

Fred Friendly, CBS News executive- Free speech laws and exclusive custody of the master switch

Why should you be interested in this book?

"We sometimes treat the information industries as if they were like others, but they are not, for their structure determines who gets heard."

THE CONCEPTS OF THE BOOK

“The Cycle”

“History shows a typical progression of information technologies from somebody’s hobby to somebody’s industry; from jury-rigged contraption to slick production marvel; from a freely accessible channel to one strictly controlled by a single corporation or cartel - from open to closed system”

Political power & media“All power that derives from the control of information” must be constrained (for both political powers + industries)

“If we believe in liberty, it must be free from both private and public coercion”

“The government’s only proper role is a check on private power, never as an aid to it”

Separation principle

● A form of industry self-regulation by the FCC

● Competition comes from an independence between three players: content owners, network infrastructure, and tools of access

Internet: what is at the stake?

● Convergence ● Taking the same path

as previous techs?● What lessons to be

drawn out from the telephone industry?

CRITICISMS

● Not so savvy regarding the Computing/ Internet era

● Newspapers, magazines, books ?1

● Lack of geographical variety

What the book omits

Shortcomings in his theory

● Dubious proposal of Separation principle

● Limits in the Cycle theory

Take away

● How USA is made

● Media power

● Deep reflection on the

modern media

● Consumer awakening