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For the better part of a decade, publishers have been begging (or threatening) Google, seeking compensation for the news they provide on its platform. And for all of those years, Google has adamantly refused—until now. On Thursday, Google announced that, later this year, it will introduce a new product focused on “high quality” news and, as part of that, it will pay a select group of publishers, including for access to stories that sit behind paywalls. According to news reports, Google has already signed deals with leading outlets in Germany, Australia, and Brazil, including Schwartz Media, Diarios Associados, and Der Spiegel. (Google hasn’t said whether it’s negotiating or has signed agreements with any publishers in the United States.)
Google’s announcement implied that this was the latest in a long line of overtures it’s made to the media industry. “For decades we have worked with publishers to grow audiences and build value,” Sundar Pichai, the CEO, tweeted. “We continue that progress today.” It’s true that the Google News Initiative has given journalists, media companies, and industry groups tens of millions of dollars. But it’s also true that Google has never paid publishers directly for news; rather, it’s vowed repeatedly that it would never do so. The argument has always been that Google sends publishers traffic, which is basically as good as money.
Some have disagreed. In 2014, after Spain tried to force Google to pay for news, the company removed the country from its news service. In 2018, while the European
Read more here: https://www.cjr.org/the_media_today/google-pays-publishers.php