Will Google’s $250 million deal with California really help journalism?
California has struck a first-in-the-nation agreement that will see local government and large tech companies spend more than $250 million over the next five years to support news organizations across the state. That sort of a cash infusion would normally be cheered by the journalism industry, which has been struggling in recent years (something many publishers partially blame on Google and Meta), but any celebration is muted at best.
Related Knowledge Center: Media and the law
Toxic politics and vast shifts in the technology landscape have created a plethora of thorny issues — both legal and ethical — for newsrooms, courts, and regulators.
The Meta-FTC trial | Section 230
Related Knowledge Center: State of the business model
The traditional journalism business model has long since collapsed, and news organizations have shrunk or disappeared entirely. While a number of promising experiments are under way, the public has not shown a willingness to buy what news organizations are selling.