WTF is going on with the media?

As we know, the Australian government has proposed legislation that would force Google and Facebook to strike deals with publishers and pay them for their content.

Did Google and FB cop this on the chin? Not exactly. In fact, both Google and Facebook threatened to withdraw products from the Australian marketplace‍

‍Bitta background: Earlier this month, Google launched its News Showcase in Australia . It give readers the opportunity to read more of a news publisher’s content than they would otherwise have access to (bloody Paywalls).

Google will pay publishers through its 'News Showcase'

Google is proposing to pay publishers who feature in its ‘News Showcase’ product, but not pay for any news stories that appear in its search results (which obviously has a LOT more traffic… and would cost them a LOT more money). Since then, Google has been on the lookout to score deals with Australia’s publishers to house their news content in its News Showcase.

But rather than stand united as a media contingent, Seven West Media has taken the bait and struck a deal with Google to be part of its News Showcase.

So what's the key learning?

For Google, deception appears to be reality. Word around town is that if Google can lock in deals with publishers for its News Showcase, it maaay actually be removed from the new media code. And that would be a major win for the big G.

Why you ask? Because it would not include paying publishers for news stories that appear in search results (ie Google’s number one service). So it’s latest move to carve out a miniscule part of its business and pay publishers for clicks here (ie the News Showcase) could actually be masking the real problem for Aussie media