Google Showcase launching in NZ
Google is planning to open its purse strings to Kiwi media organisations later this year by launching a New Zealand version of its Google News Showcase service.
Google has not revealed the size of any budget for media deals in New Zealand.
But the company has earmarked US$1 billion (NZ$1.4b) over three years globally for the service, which is so far available in Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Britain and Australia.
The service sees Google pay mainstream media organisations to supply and curate stories that can be browsed in panels in its Google News app and then viewed for free, and will later be made available through Google’s main search engine.
The service directs readers to publishers’ own websites to view stories, which Google says should help drive their audience growth.
The internet giant has separately announced it is providing funding from its $3 million Google News Initiative to support Stuff’s ‘‘The Whole Truth’’ campaign.
That campaign has seen Stuff partner with Ma¯ ori Television and the Pacific Media Network to provide information to
Ma¯ ori and Pacific communities on the Covid-19 vaccine programme and combat ‘‘misinformation’’.
Google NZ country director Caroline Rainsford said there had been ‘‘some questions around the relationship between digital platforms and news publishers’’.
Google News Showcase was designed to ‘‘bring value to both publishers and readers by providing a licensing programme that pays publishers to curate content for story panels across Google services, and give readers more insights into the stories that matter’’, she said. Rainsford said Google would contact potential Google News Showcase partners in New Zealand later this year, but it is understood informal discussions have taken place with some publishers. Google was committed to supporting the promotion of accurate and critical information ‘‘and longer term, we’ll continue to partner, along with many others, to support a strong future for journalism in New Zealand,’’ she said.
Material from about 500 publications is available through the Showcase service so far, including Britain’s The Financial Times, Reuters, Germany’s Der Spiegel and Australia’s Seven West Media.
Broadcasting Minister Kris Faafoi said earlier this month that he was watching the impact of the Australian law and that work was taking place to assess options for regulation in New Zealand.