A woman reads The New York Times on her computer on June 15, 2016 in Washington,DC. The grim news for newspapers: digital is doing little to rescue them from their deepening woes. Reeling from weak circulation and ad revenue, the traditional newspaper world faces an ugly picture while social media and tech firms benefit from the shift to digital, a Pew Research Center study released on Wednesday found. / AFP PHOTO / Karen BLEIER
Alphabet Inc’s Google is developing new tools designed to boost subscriptions for news publishers. It follows a similar olive branch from Facebook Inc to an industry that has seen the digital behemoths take over the online advertising market.
Google’s latest foray arrives on three fronts. The first is a revamp of its feature, called “first click free,” that allows readers to access articles from subscription publications through search. Google is also exploring publishers’ tools around online payments and targeting potential subscribers.
