Google Will Spoon-Feed Your News

A story I found today made it on the homepage of Webmasterworld.com. I love it when that happens. Thewrap.com interviewed Eric Schmidt, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Google. In the interview Eric said “In about six months, [Google] will roll out a system that will bring high-quality news content to users without them actively looking for it.” Also, Google believes it will be able to sell premium ad space with this content. This is huge. Google is taking steps to be a major player in the news industry – an industry whose print model is failing. The timing is perfect. The AP has been complaining about websites needing to pay for the use of AP news on their sites. The demands for compensation is alienating site owners… guess who will step up to the plate? Yep. The more scary thing… how will the AP be able to compete as their online and print news delivery models fail? Will they still be able to afford to pay a preimum to reporters? Could they afford to out-bid Google?! Yep. Now you’re getting it. Google employs the reporters. Google decides based on your profile’s history what kind of news you’re interested in. Google runs ads along with their news to subsidise the program. Progress? Sure. Big Brother getting bigger? Yep. Brace yourselves for the Google News Channel. Kidding. (Kinda) (Read Thewrap.com article) (See the Webmasterworld.com thread)