Editorial: Fairness in Local News
By • October 11, 2023 0 1064
Ask yourself this question: how many journalists does Google hire? Earlier this year, a federal lawsuit was filed against Google. Newspapers which still give communities most local coverage, are having to turn to online-only, subscription-based services and online ads.
Google, which provides the popular “Google Ads” platform, has a monopoly over digital advertising tools. This summer, media company Gannett filed a lawsuit against Google stating that publishers don’t see much of the money from digital ads because Google and the company Alphabet, Inc. have monopolies for ad tech used to buy and sell ads.
In their lawsuit, Gannett said: “Google controls how publishers sell their ad slots, and it forces publishers to sell growing shares of that ad space to Google at depressed prices.” This results in less revenue for publishers who bring local news to their communities.
As our country continues to see thousands of newspapers disappear, and we’re confronted with new technology like AI, who will guide us down this new path into the unknown?
As we publish Volume 70, Number 1, we are committed to fact-checking and providing the best, up-to-date news and features — written by the human mind, not a computer. You have our promise.
For more on The Georgetowner’s support for protecting local journalism go here.
