A lot of content you read on the internet can be read for free. This is because there are many publications out there that provide content for free and rely on ads to make their money. However with more users turning to ad blockers, making money via ads is no longer as lucrative as it once was.
This means that publishers need to start looking at alternatives, and one of them is paid subscriptions. In a report from Bloomberg, it seems that Google is currently working on creating subscription tools that publishers can use to streamline the process. Google is said to be testing these tools out with publications like the New York Times and the Financial Times, but the company is also talking to other media outlets for the future.
According to Richard Gingras, Google’s vice president for news, “It’s clear from news publishers that they can’t live on advertising alone. But it’s also clear that we’re seeing a shift in a market.” Google’s latest move is reminiscent of Facebook’s own efforts in which the company had previously announced their own plans for subscription-based services for media outlets as well.
It is unclear if Google’s efforts will work and if it will encourage readers to start paying for news, since like we said there are so many outlets on the web, so if you have to pay for one, it’s easy to find an alternative.
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