Google has entered an agreement with the state of California to fund local newsrooms.
Under the $110-million deal, Google and California will “jointly contribute money over five years to support local newsrooms, excluding broadcasters,” Politico reported.
Google is to provide $110 million for journalism initiatives, while California is to provide $70 million.
The effort will reportedly include the development of an AI “accelerator” program.
California Assemblymaker Buffy Wicks (D) led negotiations for the deal. According to Wicks, AI was not included in earlier editions of the legislation.
“As technology and innovation advance, it is critical that California continues to champion the vital role of journalism in our democracy,” Wicks said. “This partnership represents a cross-sector commitment to supporting a free and vibrant press, empowering local news outlets up and down the state to continue in their essential work. This is just the beginning. I remain committed to finding even more ways to support journalism in our state for years to come.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) called the deal a “major breakthrough” in “ensuring the survival of newsrooms and bolstering local journalism across California — leveraging substantial tech industry resources without imposing new taxes on Californians.”
“The deal not only provides funding to support hundreds of new journalists but helps rebuild a robust and dynamic California press corps for years to come, reinforcing the vital role of journalism in our democracy,” he continued.
The Media Guild of the West President Matt Pierce wrote in a letter that a “‘National AI Accelerator’ raises the question of whether the state is helping Big Tech accelerate the destruction of journalists’ jobs by unreliable plagiarism technology.”
