On December 5th at 6PM ET, Cory Doctorow will speak about his new book with Rebecca Giblin entitled Chokepoint Capitalism at a panel and book discussion hosted by Northeastern University’s Burnes Center for Social Change and College of Arts, Music, and Design. Join the conversation on Zoom by clicking here.
Hailed by The Progressive as “the book we need now… comprehensive and accessible, stirring and enlightening,” Chokepoint Capitalism is a call to action. Masterfully examining the intersections between Big Tech, corporate monopolies and the creative industry, it reveals the trends that have led us into this new economic reality, and how we might fight our way out.
Corporate concentration has breached the stratosphere, as have corporate profits. An ever-expanding constellation of industries are now monopolies (where sellers have excessive power over buyers) or monopsonies (where buyers hold the whip hand over sellers) – or both. Giblin and Doctorow argue that we’re in a new era of “chokepoint capitalism,” with exploitative businesses capturing value that should rightfully go to others. With a deft analysis of news and processes from the entertainment sector, Chokepoint Capitalism explains the ways powerful corporations trap their consumers, create hostile environments, and deny their workers living wages. But, as Giblin and Doctorow explain, all is not lost. There are ways to break down those barriers, with an array of tools that allow workers recapture the power and profit they deserve.
Cory Doctorow will be joined by Professor of Law & Policy and Burnes Center for Social Change Senior Fellow Seth Harris, Director of the Northeastern School of Journalism Jonathan Kaufman, Northeastern Professor of Law and Media Alexandra Roberts, and Professor of Journalism and Burnes Center Senior Fellow Caleb Gayle.
Don’t forget to register for the live Zoom event here.
Header image: Britta Penderson/AP