Virtual Face-Off: What Does Google Owe Newspapers?

NEWSPAPERS CRASHING AND BURNING

37. February 4, 2009
10:21 pm

So, say Google enters into negotiations (which it won’t) with the newspapers and Google doesn’t agree to one of the papers demands or the amount the paper want’s to charge? Which paper wants to be the first to be left out of the search results?

Remember 1998 when newspapers started to squirm about what to do with this new technology? Many refused to put their content online-they lost. Some tried registration schemes (so how are you monetizing the registration information?). Some tried to sell content or charge a fee for “premium” content (we know how that worked out don’t we NYT…).

Buggy whips, telegrams, victrola’s (don’t even get me started on the idiots who run the music business!), sundial’s……….

We need in-depth investigative reporting. I love the NY Times and have been a reader for most of my life. But content is king and content producers are the Crown Prince’s and Princess’es of this new technology. I have no doubt that Thomas Friedman, Frank Rich, Maureen Dowd, David Brooks (not William Kristol!!!!) will find plenty of outlets that will be more than willing to pay them to write. Eyeballs, eyeballs, eyeballs. The papers better get over it really quickly and get with the program.

— Multifarious