Tech giants like Amazon, Apple, Alphabet, Meta, and Microsoft have become an integral part of our daily lives, influencing our healthcare, education, and political landscape. With these companies staying one step ahead of regulations, the question arises: who monitors their power?
Alexandra Schwinges explores the role of journalism in holding these tech giants accountable and argues that in today’s digital age, journalism must reclaim its watchdog function. Schwinges will present her Ph.D. thesis at the University of Amsterdam on Friday, May 9.
Big Tech has positioned itself as indispensable in society, making it challenging for governments to effectively regulate their activities, leading to a growing gap between societal power and legal oversight.
“Experts have long voiced concerns about Big Tech’s power, but we only recently began to understand its true scale,” says Schwinges. Events such as Big Tech CEOs’ presence at Donald Trump’s inauguration and Elon Musk’s involvement with the US government have prompted a shift in perception.
Schwinges investigates how news media scrutinize Big Tech and how the public, lobbyists, and journalists perceive the media’s watchdog role. While the public expects the media to hold Big Tech accountable, there are concerns about unmet expectations and decreased trust in journalism. Journalists face challenges like relying on expert sources, dealing with complex topics, and aligning with editorial priorities.
“It’s a tough balancing act for journalists,” Schwinges notes. “They are not tech experts but must become one to effectively monitor Big Tech. They also need to understand a broad range of policy issues.”
Schwinges notices that news coverage of Big Tech is often event-driven rather than consistently critical. Discussions and criticisms are usually limited to certain circles, leaving the public to navigate the digital landscape on their own.
Tech companies often portray themselves as champions of public interest, emphasizing their community benefits and framing access to technology as a basic right. Journalists tend to echo these narratives, reinforcing Big Tech’s image as a socially valuable entity.
Schwinges stresses the importance of journalism renewing its watchdog practices by reporting critically and ensuring public accountability. She calls for a shift towards data journalism and advocates for more collaboration among media outlets, academics, and policymakers to preserve transparency and accountability in an era dominated by powerful tech companies.
