Reuters: Google stymies media companies from chipping away at its data dominance. “Publishers had expected to use data privacy measures going into effect Aug. 15 to bar Google from storing insights about readers, sapping the data advantage that has enabled it to dominate a market filled with advertisers hungry for information to target potential customers. But Google said it will cut off publishers from a lucrative flow of ads if they follow through with curbing its data collection. Negotiations continue, but Google holds greater leverage because it dominates in both advertising tools and access to advertisers within the $100 billion annual global banner ads market.”
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Nature: Hundreds of journals’ editorial practices captured in database
Nature: Hundreds of journals’ editorial practices captured in database. “Funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development, and created with the Leiden Centre for Science and Technology Studies, the platform currently hosts a database of 387 journals. It evaluates these journals’ peer-review procedures according to 12 criteria, including: the level of anonymity afforded to authors and reviewers; the use of digital tools such as plagiarism scanners; and the timing of peer review in the research and publication process (see S. P. J. M. Horbach and W. Halffman Scientometrics 118, 339–373; 2019). The platform displays the procedures used by each journal, along with aggregate statistics on the various editorial practices.”
Pipe Dream: SUNY ends contract with ScienceDirect
Pipe Dream: SUNY ends contract with ScienceDirect. “The future of ScienceDirect as a source for scholarly articles is bleak with State University of New York (SUNY) canceling its subscription after a deal could not be made with its publishing company, Elsevier.”
Ireland should consider forcing Google, Facebook to pay media for content: PM (Reuters)
Reuters: Ireland should consider forcing Google, Facebook to pay media for content: PM. “The Irish government should consider copying Australia’s plan to force Facebook Inc (FB.O) and Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google to share advertising revenue with local media, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said [in April].”
Reuters: France rules Google must pay news firms for content
Reuters: France rules Google must pay news firms for content. “France’s competition authority ruled on Thursday that Google must pay French publishing companies and news agencies for re-using their content. The U.S. tech firm said it would comply with the French competition authority verdict, which followed a complaint by unions representing French press publishers.”
NiemanLab: People are getting a lot of coronavirus news from traditional media, but they trust information from their employers more
NiemanLab: People are getting a lot of coronavirus news from traditional media, but they trust information from their employers more. “The coronavirus pandemic continues to throw salt in the wound we journalists have about the public’s trust in news. The communications firm Edelman published a special edition of its annual Trust Barometer Report that highlights the role that the private sector must play in informing people about the coronavirus crisis. Unfortunately, the study also underscores the public’s conflicting views of the news media.”
DCist: Local News Outlets Face Existential Threat Amid Coronavirus-Related Drop In Revenue
DCist: Local News Outlets Face Existential Threat Amid Coronavirus-Related Drop In Revenue. “Even as local news outlets are seeing record traffic on their websites, one of their main revenue sources is drying up. Advertising for area events and establishments is nearly non-existent thanks to the coronavirus-related cancellations and closures. Media outlets are reacting to the sudden change with layoffs, pay cuts, and calls for reader support.”
Publishers Weekly: Is Macmillan Reconsidering Its Library E-book Embargo?
Publishers Weekly: Is Macmillan Reconsidering Its Library E-book Embargo?. “At the recent ALA Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia, Macmillan CEO John Sargent told librarians that he would come back in March with potential alternatives to the publisher’s controversial library e-book embargo. And this week, Macmillan made good on Sargent’s statement, with an email to a select group of librarians seeking feedback on three proposals that could inform new e-book license terms for public libraries.”
Bloomberg: Google In Talks with Publishers to Pay for Displaying News
Bloomberg: Google In Talks with Publishers to Pay for Displaying News. “The early-stage talks are taking place primarily with French and other European publishers, and may not lead to any agreements, a person familiar with the matter said. A deal would apply only to news products like the Google News vertical, they added, not general web content queries.” This is my jaw on the floor.
Inside The E-Book ‘War’ Waging Between Libraries And Publishers (WGBH)
WGBH: Inside The E-Book ‘War’ Waging Between Libraries And Publishers. “According to the American Library Association (ALA), about one fifth of the books sold in the U.S. are eBooks. Some publishers are worried that the ease of borrowing a digital book from a library is hurting sales and have decided to limit how and when libraries can access digital books. Now, libraries in Massachusetts and nationwide are vowing to fight back. They say the practices are not just unfair and unethical, but they might be illegal.”
Publishers Weekly: Educational Publishers File Suit to Block Sale of Pirated E-books
Publishers Weekly: Educational Publishers File Suit to Block Sale of Pirated E-books. “According to the lawsuit filed in the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the pirate sites are selling unlicensed e-books using Google ads which they place in response to searches for the publishers’ legitimate content. While the lawsuit proceeds, the publishers, through the Educational Publishers Enforcement Group which brought the action, were granted a temporary restraining order that calls for the immediate shut down of the illegal activity on these sites, as well as the cessation of the services that support the sites.”
“We’re wounded animals and wondering if they’re going to shoot us”: Publishers have, um, cooled on partnerships with platforms (Nieman Journalism Lab)
Nieman Journalism Lab: “We’re wounded animals and wondering if they’re going to shoot us”: Publishers have, um, cooled on partnerships with platforms. “The era when publishers could be just mildly skeptical of platforms while continuing to work with them enthusiastically appears to be over. Bring on the ‘just kill me now’ analogies — and a shift to, um, unenthusiastic partnerships.”
The Bull: French media launch copyright case against Google
The Bull: French media launch copyright case against Google. “French media organisations lodged a complaint against Google to the country’s competition authority Wednesday over the US internet giant’s refusal to pay for displaying their content. The move sets up a legal fight with Google over a new EU copyright law that could have huge repercussions for the future of the press.”
Techdirt: Giant Publisher Macmillan Goes To War Against Libraries
Techdirt: Giant Publisher Macmillan Goes To War Against Libraries. “f you’re not already aware, most libraries offer ebook lending — which gives borrowers temporary access to an ebook, just like borrowing a hard copy library book. I use this all the time to borrow ebooks from my local library (which has also resulted in my buying permanent copies of many of those books). However, Macmillan has decided to crack down on the practice. “
New York Times: Facebook’s New Role as News Publisher Brings New Scrutiny
New York Times: Facebook’s New Role as News Publisher Brings New Scrutiny. “A little more than two weeks after Facebook announced a news initiative, the social network was on the defensive, responding to a published report that a website co-founded by the company’s top news executive had displayed bias against Elizabeth Warren.”
