Social media platforms have a significant advantage over news publishers because of their size and superior information about users. Driven by the need to generate the maximum possible returns for investors, they do not shy from leveraging this advantage when negotiating commercial agreements. While news publishers in many countries come together as a consortium to further their collective interests, the rivalry among news publishers prevents them from presenting a united front to bargain for their collective interests.

As a result, in individual negotiations with social media platforms, the revenue share, if they ever get any, is trivial compared to the total money made by social media platforms. Local news publishers, often very small, suffer disproportionately, to the extent that many have gone bankrupt in the last few years.

Those who have survived have become more content-producing vendors. They exist to feed the social media monster, which decides which article will appear in which reader's feed to maximise advertising revenues. Journalistic responsibility to provide citizens with the information they need to make important decisions about their lives, communities and governments is seldom a consideration.

Given below are two statements. In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below.

Statement I:News publishers have better information about their users as compared to social media platforms.

Statement II:Social media platforms are generally very particular in presenting correct information to the citizens.

ABoth Statement I and Statement II are true

BBoth Statement I and Statement II are false ✓ Correct

CStatement I is true but Statement II is false

DStatement I is false but Statement II is true

Correct answer: (B) Both Statement I and Statement II are false

Explanation

Both statements are false, so the answer is that both Statement I and Statement II are false.

The passage says social media platforms have superior information about users.

So it is the platforms, not news publishers, that have the better user information, making statement I false.

The passage says platforms decide which article appears to maximise advertising revenue.

Providing citizens correct information is seldom their consideration.

So they are not particular about correct information, making statement II false.

Therefore both statements are false.

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