Google Leaves Sinking Newspaper Ship
January 22, 2009
Dozens of stories about Google’s killing its print ad resale business are buzzing around my newsreader. Like flies in Canberra, these stories won’t go away. I like Brian Womack’s “Google to Stop Selling Print Advertising Next Month” and you can read his run down here. For me one key factoid was that Google had signed up 800 newspapers. I didn’t know there were that many newspapers left in the US. Another comment I noted was:
Google said today it will continue to devote a team to newspaper companies, seeking ways to help them make money online.
Now that will work pretty well. I don’t think that there are too many Googley folks at the newspapers these days. Maybe this Google team will do what others have been unable to do; that is, revivify an industry’s business model that’s been unchanged since the first broadsheet appeared in London a couple hundred years ago. Googlers are good, but I don’t think Googlers are that good.
The Google role model?
My take is that Google is in a good position to cherry pick. And what will Googlers select at the newspaper bargain sale? I tackle this issue in my forthcoming Google and publishing study. Some preliminary information is here. I am not sure Google is a digital Mother Teresa, however. What do you think?
Stephen Arnold, January 21, 2009
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