Google is exercising little oversight over publishers’ use of the money.
But Google’s hesitance to hold publishers accountable for generating business results with the funds leaves questions about whether the media industry will at last turn a corner after several attempts by tech companies to provide support and improve its outlook.Bender expressed optimism, though, about News Showcase steering publishers toward a brighter future and said the company would support the program beyond the initial $1 billion.
The option to select more content from some publishers had existed in Google’s News tool earlier, but follows from News Showcase panels in the countries where they are available now represent a double-digit percentage of all follows, Google said.