Journalists say they were locked out of the deal-making process, as tech companies and lawmakers struck a deal to fund local news funds and AI innovations.
CALIFORNIA, USA — Google will soon give California millions of dollars to help pay for local journalism jobs in a first-in-the-nation deal, but journalists and other media industry experts are calling it a disappointing agreement that mostly benefits the tech giant.
The agreement, which was hashed out behind closed doors and announced this week, will direct tens of millions of public and private dollars to keep local news organizations afloat. Critics say it’s a textbook political maneuver by tech giants to avoid a fee under what could have been groundbreaking legislation. California lawmakers agreed to kill a bill requiring tech to support news outlets they profit from in exchange for Google’s financial commitment.
By shelving the bill, the state effectively gave up on an avenue that could have required Google and social media platforms …