Google today announced that newspaper publishers will now be able to set a limit on the number of free news articles people can read through their website.Up until now, most news coming via Google was free, but after pressure from some in the newspaper industry (most notably Rupert Murdoch) they are now launching a First Click Free programme, whereby publishers can now prevent unrestricted access to subscription websites.
Murdoch, chief exec and chairman of Newscorp, which owns the likes of the Sun and The Times, has accused firms such as Google of profiting from journalism by generating advertising revenue by linking readers to newspaper articles.
Make no mistake, this is a big move by Google, but one suspects that fear of litigation from Murdoch may have forced their hand.
However, there is a prevailing view that Murdoch's vision is, well, not compatible with the emerging new media business model. Sure, some sites demand that users pay for subsciptions, but they tend to be niche and do not cover general news.
The problem for Murdoch is compounded by the fact that there is no much free general news out there now, people will just look elsewhere. Afterall, it's basic human nature not resist paying for something when you can get it for nothing. And with 24 hour news and the internet, there's no need to even leave the house.
This is a difficult time for news organisations, and some could end up falling by the wayside. Eventually, an accepted business model will emerge, but the key question is will it be to the detriment of the traditional printed product? Perhaps a hybrid solution can be found, but the road to finding it is sure to be very bumpy indeed.
