Saturday's Derision

The Google Ink Stain

Google is great. Except when it’s not. As the newspaper industry continues to flail in an increasingly online world, Google is set to release an affiliate program that will essentially place in its lap all the news that’s published online. It’s a bold move. But increasing control and breadth won’t be easy. And it will cost Google millions.

From the Neiman Journalism Lab:

Google is developing a micropayment platform that will be “available to both Google and non-Google properties within the next year,” according to a document the company submitted to the Newspaper Association of America. The system, an extension of Google Checkout, would be a new and unexpected option for the news industry as it considers how to charge for content online.

The revelation comes in an eight-page response to the NAA’s request for paid-content proposals, which it extended to several major technology companies and startups. It’s surprising, given the newspaper industry’s tenuous relationship with Google, that the company was involved at all.

The Google Micropayment Plan:

The Hand Me Down

Google is certainly the most equipped company to handle a large-scale shift in media brokerage and content platform. But the notion that a single entity will basically employ all the news that is published online is despotic, shortsighted. It’s ultimately unwise. Furthermore, the biggest variable — whether or not people will actually use this platform — is still undetermined. If the newspaper industry agrees to this partnership, which may very well buoy revenue, it could wind up being controlled by Google when another, more fruitful resolution occurs.

Download the entire Google document here.