Google has announced that it will waive ad serving fees for news publishers using Ad Manager for five months. It said that partners that meet the requirements will be notified in the coming days of the changes and what they can expect to see in their account statements. Google is hoping that the move will help ailing firms see out the COVID-19 pandemic.
In its announcement, the firm said that people rely on quality journalism to keep abreast of the latest developments around the world and stay safe. The vast majority of publications opt to use online advertising to fund their projects, however, with fewer businesses currently open and selling products, the number of firms looking to advertise has dropped causing news outlets to miss out on revenue.
Today’s announcement comes just two days after the Google News Initiative launched the Journalism Emergency Relief Fund where small, medium, and local news publishers can receive emergency aid to help cover costs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
When the GNI announced the Journalism Emergency Relief Fund, Google also disclosed that its Google.org was giving $1 million to the International Center for Journalists, and the Columbia Journalism School’s Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma. Respectively, these organisations help support reporters around the world and help journalists exposed to traumatic events.