Would Google make a good newspaper owner?
Don Day November 1st, 2007
KTVB colleagues Tony Courtwright, Aletia Powers and I often talk about how smart it would be for Google to buy a TV station or station group (and I swear it’s not just because of the free snack rooms). Conde’ Nast Porfolio looks at a simple question: who would make the ideal newspaper owner. The conclusion? Google’s philanthropic arm Google.org:
The ideal newspaper owner, in my view, would be a fan of profits, yet not profit-oriented; have a strong commitment to making the world a better place through the dissemination of information; and have loads of money. Who best fits the bill? Easy: Google.org. Paging Larry Brilliant!
We’ve seen a myraid of efforts by Google to bridge the Internet with old technology: selling radio ads and print ads to name two. At what point does it make sense for Google to take the plunge and purchase a newspaper or TV station? We all talk about how to capitalize on the Internet and the new future media faces. What better way to tackle that challenge then to be have an Internet-centric organization like Google steer the ship?
7 Comments Add your own
1. Olsen | November 1st, 2007 at 3:14 pm
Google is on the short list of Web sites making newspapers and television news a thing of the past. I’m all for free snacks, but I don’t see why Google would want in on an old media operation.
Google News is practically a public utility that treats all sources fairly based on incoming links and time it was indexed. If Google bought a paper, would that site get a Google pagerank of 10 and trump the Times and WSJ?
It seems like the whole thing would be a pain in Google’s ass. They make a living from building “what’s next” not “what used to be.”
2. discreet_chaos | November 1st, 2007 at 3:41 pm
…”a fan of profits, yet not profit-oriented”
I’m sorry, but I think that’s part of the utopian image which is thrust upon Google and when their growth plateaus, I’m certain that the shareholders are going to insist upon monetizing the parts of Google which don’t make a profit.
3. Rob | November 1st, 2007 at 4:04 pm
Google would go out of business if they brought the ‘free snack room’ concept to a TV news room.
However, having seen the Googlezon video a couple times too many, I’d be intrigued to see what Google could do in blending television with online. I think a Google driven TV / web venture could be profitable as long as they learn from mistakes made in the past (AOL / TimeWarner).
Newspapers on the other hand are having a hard time staying solvent due to rising costs in newsprint, distribution (gas) and salaries. I’m not sure what Google could do to change the downward spiral of newspapers.
4. Tony Courtwright | November 1st, 2007 at 4:21 pm
Forget the Utopian image…the scenario is more likely a “street fight” - Us against an emboldened Goostapo armed with quality local content producers, multiple distribution and delivery channels, local community & business relationships and strong trusted local brands. Call me paranoid but I’m thinking Googlezon 2.0.
5. Charlie | November 1st, 2007 at 9:09 pm
Google deal with the FCC? No chance.
6. Fantasy Congress | November 2nd, 2007 at 7:43 am
Seriously, I understand this site deals with media, but you folks have to understand that Google is a tech company that doesn’t produce it’s own content. Google would never buy it’s own TV station unless it allows it to somehow increase the content it would receive from all TV stations.
I agree with earlier posts that Google is already in the business of making the world a better place. No one needs to add the .org .
7. jessica | March 1st, 2008 at 4:12 pm
i think if google can help me it can help anyone
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