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The Media Show: Understanding the attention economy

Elon Musk鈥檚 growing power in Trump鈥檚 White House, USAID鈥檚 cuts to global journalism, and Chris Hayes on how big tech monetises human attention.

Elon Musk鈥檚 presence at a White House press conference surprised journalists when President Trump gave him the stage to address questions about his growing governmental influence. Jeff Mason, White House correspondent for Reuters, who asked Musk about claims of a 鈥渉ostile takeover鈥 of government, describes the experience.

The Trump administration has announced significant cuts to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which provides funding to independent media organisations worldwide. Max Tani, reporter for Semafor, explains how this decision affects news outlets, particularly those operating in countries where press freedom is under threat.

成人快手 Media Action, the 成人快手鈥檚 international charity, has been affected by the cuts, with USAID previously providing millions in funding. Its CEO, Simon Bishop, clarifies the organisation鈥檚 role and responds to Elon Musk鈥檚 claim that USAID funds the 成人快手 directly.

The attention economy is reshaping the way people engage with media and technology. Chris Hayes, host of MSNBC鈥檚 All In, draws comparisons between Big Tech鈥檚 monetisation of attention and the Industrial Revolution鈥檚 transformation of labour. He discusses the social and political consequences of mass digital engagement and offers insight into potential regulatory solutions.

Presenter: Katie Razzall
Producer: Simon Richardson
Assistant producer: Lucy Wai

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