Will Slauter on the History of Copyright in the News

In this episode, Will Slauter, Associate Professor at Université Paris Diderot, discusses his new book, “Who Owns the News?: A History of Copyright,” which is published by Stanford University Press. Slauter begins by explaining that the question, “Who owns the news?” has had different answers at different points in time. He describes the history of the news, beginning in 16th century England, and continuing through the present day, explaining how the it has taken different forms at different points in time. He reflects on the way that regulation, social technologies, and economics have shaped the news and concepts of ownership. He uses particular moments in the history of the news to illustrate those changes. And he argues that the history of the news can help us understand the history of copyright more richly and clearly. Slauter is on Twitter at @w758.