Google signs licensing deals with Canadian news producers
By Adnews Staff
Google Canada of Toronto has announced a new initiative intended to support Canadian newsrooms and journalists nationally. The company has signed a series of agreements with Canadian publishers to contribute to Google News Showcase, a new product and licensing program that provides space for news content in Google News and Discover. According to the company these agreements will support newsrooms that provide general interest news to their communities. As part of these licensing deals, Google will also pay news organizations for access to some paywalled content.
Participating publishers include Black Press Media, Glacier Media, The Globe and Mail, Métro Média, Narcity Media, SaltWire Network, Village Media and the Winnipeg Free Press, representing approximately 70 national, regional and community news organizations. The company is also negotiating with additional news providers.
“We’ve never relied on high-quality, community-based journalism more than we have during the COVID crisis,” said Sabrina Geremia, country head at Google Canada. “Canadian journalists have been a lifeline, keeping us connected with essential information like changes to stay-at-home orders and where and when to get vaccinated. As we move out of this crisis, Google Canada is stepping up its role to support a sustainable news ecosystem in Canada. By paying publishers directly through our Google News Showcase program and expanding our Google News Initiative efforts in Canada to train 5,000 Canadian journalists on digital skills over the next three years, our commitment to supporting news in Canada has never been stronger.”