Google: friend or foe for news publishers?
There’s no doubting the power of Google: having re-written the online advertising rule-book, publishers around the world now use its AdSense system to make money and rely on its search algorithm to drive traffic.
The company’s motto is “don’t be evil” – but is it a malign influence on the UK and world’s news publishing? Or, as it claims, does Google simply enable publishers to reach bigger audiences than ever before, at no cost?
Rupert Murdoch described Google as a parasite and has taken the news, paid-for The Times papers away from its index. But is dealing with Google and search engines an inevitability, or do SEO techniques cheapen journalism?
Our panelists are:
- Peter Barron, head of PR and communications for Google UK and a former editor of Newsnight;
- Matt Kelly, digital content director for Mirror Group Newspapers;
- Wired and Press Gazette columnist Peter Kirwan and
- Patrick Barwise, emeritus professor of management and marketing at the London Business School. More to be confirmed soon.
- Chaired by Torin Douglas, the BBC’s media correspondent.
Booking for five or more people? Call us on 020 7479 8950 for a group discount.
This is a part of the club’s monthly On the Media discussion series, which are in association with the BBC College of Journalism.
