Information Subsidies

The term information subsidies refers to the process of providing news stories, reports, facts, or other forms of information or intellectual capital to reporters or gatekeepers, with the intention of affecting the perceptions or actions of readers, viewers, or recipients of the information. This information is subsidized by the producer, typically making it less costly to the user than it would be were the user to gather it on his or her own. In turn, the subsidizing agency generally expects to gain a higher degree of influence or power over information consumers as well as advantage over competing information sources than would ensue were they not to provide the subsidy. Information subsidies are particularly important for science and technology news.

The value of subsidized information depends ...