Google announced on Wednesday that it will be offering free access to over 4,000 news sites until the end of March in an effort to support journalism during the COVID-19 pandemic. The move will allow users to read articles from a wide range of publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal, without having to pay a subscription fee..
Google said that the initiative is part of its commitment to supporting the news industry, which has been hit hard by the pandemic. The company said that it hopes that the free access will help people stay informed about the latest developments in the pandemic and other important issues..
“We believe that access to quality journalism is more important than ever during this time,” said Brad Bender, Google’s vice president of product management for News. “We hope that by providing free access to these publications, we can help people stay informed and make informed decisions about their lives.”.
The free access will be available through Google News and the Google News app. Users will be able to access articles from participating publications without having to create an account or pay a subscription fee..
Google said that it will continue to monitor the situation and may extend the free access period if necessary. The company also said that it is working with news organizations to develop new ways to support journalism in the long term..
The move by Google is the latest in a series of initiatives by tech companies to support journalism during the pandemic. Facebook and Apple have also announced programs to provide financial support to news organizations..
The pandemic has had a devastating impact on the news industry. Advertising revenue has plummeted, and many newspapers and magazines have been forced to lay off staff or close down altogether. The free access provided by Google will help to offset some of the financial losses that news organizations have experienced during the pandemic..
It is important to note that the free access will only be available for a limited time. Google has said that it will continue to monitor the situation and may extend the free access period if necessary. However, it is likely that the free access will eventually end, and users will need to pay a subscription fee to access articles from participating publications..
Despite the limited duration of the free access, the move by Google is a significant step forward for the news industry. It shows that tech companies are willing to support journalism, and it could help to pave the way for new models of news distribution in the future..
