Information governance and barriers to the free flow of information and data has been a or the key barrier to climate action. But with the rise of the information and attention economy, politically slanted information has both become the prime source of rents, while at the same time, has morphed into a potential weapon that political agents deploy.
Coupled with the rise of social media, that benefits attention seekers and individuals with narcissistic personality traits, this has facilitated the emergence of an unhealthy coalition between politics and media. The control of information rents facilitates the production of “stories” that can be deployed in the political game.
Exclusive stories become the currency of trade within the journalistic profession and politicians may be ready and steady suppliers, boosting the careers of individual journalists in turn. A symbiotic but not necessarily a healthy relationship.