Physics

Perspective (graphical)

Business

Key (lock)

Knowledge management

Gene

Advertising

Journalism

Political science

Dominance (genetics)

Artificial intelligence

Negotiation

Power (physics)

Chemistry

Computer science

Quantum mechanics

Computer security

Biochemistry

Digital Journalism

This article develops an analytical framework to examine the contingent power relations between news organizations and platforms. Eschewing one-sided, monolithic perspectives on platform dominance, we instead theorize power as relational. From this perspective, we observe important variations in news organizations' degree of platform in/dependence. Examining these variations, we propose the concept of spaces of negotiation, which refers to the opportunities available to news organizations to determine how they produce, distribute, and monetize content vis-à-vis platforms. Building on research in journalism studies, platform studies, and related disciplines, we identify three key variables that shape these spaces of negotiation: (1) platform evolution, (2) stage of production, and (3) type of news organization. A systematic analysis of these variables, we contend, allows for a more nuanced, less deterministic understanding of the role of platform companies in transforming the news landscape.

Spaces of Negotiation: Analyzing Platform Power in the News Industry