4 ms·

Google is coming after critics in academia and journalism

49 points by thedays 9y ago

bhouston 9y ago
Can the Washington Post get away with significant original criticism or investigations of Amazon? A medium sized think tank corrupted for a megacorp isn't as bad as the major government focused newspaper, the only newspaper bigger is the nytimes. But I guess if the choice of jb owning wp or having wp go bankrupt and go away, I would choose wp being owned by jb. Journalism is important to keep around.
- ocdtrekkie 9y ago
  Well, WaPo got away with this one just last month: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/is-amazon-getting-too-big/2017/07/28/ff38b9ca-722e-11e7-9eac-d56bd5568db8_story.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/is-amazon-getting-to...
- kyleschiller 9y ago
  https://www.washingtonpost.com/newssearch/?query=amazon&utm_term=.90f7c49018b4&sort=Relevance&datefilter=All%20Since%202005&spellcheck&startat=0#top https://www.washingtonpost.com/newssearch/?query=amazon&utm_... Lots of press, most of it good, couple harsher criticisms: Why this group is trying to stop Amazon from buying Whole Foods https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/07/17/why-this-group-is-trying-to-stop-amazon-from-buying-whole-foods/?utm_term=.306e75b1d628 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/07/17/why-t... Amazon under probe for business in Iran https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/amazon-under-probe-for-business-in-iran-arbitration-rule-avoids-suspension/2017/07/31/227998ec-7616-11e7-8839-ec48ec4cae25_story.html?utm_term=.026fd94132ab https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/amazon-under... Is Amazon getting too big? https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/is-amazon-getting-too-big/2017/07/28/ff38b9ca-722e-11e7-9eac-d56bd5568db8_story.html?utm_term=.7dc7a88d80b3 https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/is-amazon-getting-to... But yeah, overall hard to tell if this is genuine or just there to make WaPo appear less biased.
  - bhouston 9y ago
    Jb would never police wp on a daily basis. It isn't worth his time and all but one is just simple reporting. There is only one oped that is fairly weak in it's take on Amazon's monopoly. None of these are real risks to his business. Could the whole wp editorial board run a blind oped calling for the government to breakup Amazon's monopoly as the paper's official position? As Amazon grows the threat of antitrust will probably get real and the center of that threat is Washington DC.
- cmac2992 9y ago
  I think direct interfere of jb is way less likely that self censorship. Outcomes are similar
bllguo 9y ago
Like I commented elsewhere - why is this evil? Because Google didn't want to pay its own critics? Open Markets is free, as they themselves admit, to continue their work elsewhere. They are not entitled to Google's support.
- space_fountain 9y ago
  Because Google is big enough to make a big impact on the global conversation. By funding only groups supportive of them they can provide the illusion of unified support.
  - apoverton 9y ago
    I'm curious if anyone has examples of large companies willfully funding organizations that are critical of them. Google plays a huge role in our lives, but it is also a corporation that has a duty to its shareholders. The EU's decision has an impact on their profits that has the potential to affect their future revenue opportunities. I'd see an issue if Google was intentionally burying information from this group, but choosing not to fund them seems like a perfectly rational, fair thing to do.
    - bhouston 9y ago
      The issue is that this is an important think tank and it can now no longer involve anyone who isn't pro-Google. If Google does this for a few key think-tanks then it runs these opinions out of the mainstream. So it is an effective technique, smart as well but executed poorly in this case.
    - pckhoi 9y ago
      It's not justified and fair just because it benefits Google and it's shareholders. By this logic I shouldn't go to jail if I rob a bank.
- okket 9y ago
  Why is this evil? That is easy: Just image Google were as dominant as it is now - but a German (or even Chinese) company. I guess there were regulations, taxations and tariffs in about zero seconds. In case of China, even national security regulations.
mehwahnah999 9y ago
Uh-oh. People with real power are starting to turn on the Google-topia.

49 points by thedays 9y ago

Can the Washington Post get away with significant original criticism or investigations of Amazon? A medium sized think tank corrupted for a megacorp isn't as bad as the major government focused newspaper, the only newspaper bigger is the nytimes. But I guess if the choice of jb owning wp or having wp go bankrupt and go away, I would choose wp being owned by jb. Journalism is important to keep around.

ocdtrekkie 9y ago
Well, WaPo got away with this one just last month: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/is-amazon-getting-too-big/2017/07/28/ff38b9ca-722e-11e7-9eac-d56bd5568db8_story.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/is-amazon-getting-to...
kyleschiller 9y ago
https://www.washingtonpost.com/newssearch/?query=amazon&utm_term=.90f7c49018b4&sort=Relevance&datefilter=All%20Since%202005&spellcheck&startat=0#top https://www.washingtonpost.com/newssearch/?query=amazon&utm_... Lots of press, most of it good, couple harsher criticisms: Why this group is trying to stop Amazon from buying Whole Foods https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/07/17/why-this-group-is-trying-to-stop-amazon-from-buying-whole-foods/?utm_term=.306e75b1d628 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/07/17/why-t... Amazon under probe for business in Iran https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/amazon-under-probe-for-business-in-iran-arbitration-rule-avoids-suspension/2017/07/31/227998ec-7616-11e7-8839-ec48ec4cae25_story.html?utm_term=.026fd94132ab https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/amazon-under... Is Amazon getting too big? https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/is-amazon-getting-too-big/2017/07/28/ff38b9ca-722e-11e7-9eac-d56bd5568db8_story.html?utm_term=.7dc7a88d80b3 https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/is-amazon-getting-to... But yeah, overall hard to tell if this is genuine or just there to make WaPo appear less biased.
- bhouston 9y ago
  Jb would never police wp on a daily basis. It isn't worth his time and all but one is just simple reporting. There is only one oped that is fairly weak in it's take on Amazon's monopoly. None of these are real risks to his business. Could the whole wp editorial board run a blind oped calling for the government to breakup Amazon's monopoly as the paper's official position? As Amazon grows the threat of antitrust will probably get real and the center of that threat is Washington DC.
cmac2992 9y ago
I think direct interfere of jb is way less likely that self censorship. Outcomes are similar

bllguo 9y ago

Like I commented elsewhere - why is this evil? Because Google didn't want to pay its own critics? Open Markets is free, as they themselves admit, to continue their work elsewhere. They are not entitled to Google's support.

space_fountain 9y ago
Because Google is big enough to make a big impact on the global conversation. By funding only groups supportive of them they can provide the illusion of unified support.
- apoverton 9y ago
  I'm curious if anyone has examples of large companies willfully funding organizations that are critical of them. Google plays a huge role in our lives, but it is also a corporation that has a duty to its shareholders. The EU's decision has an impact on their profits that has the potential to affect their future revenue opportunities. I'd see an issue if Google was intentionally burying information from this group, but choosing not to fund them seems like a perfectly rational, fair thing to do.
  - bhouston 9y ago
    The issue is that this is an important think tank and it can now no longer involve anyone who isn't pro-Google. If Google does this for a few key think-tanks then it runs these opinions out of the mainstream. So it is an effective technique, smart as well but executed poorly in this case.
  - pckhoi 9y ago
    It's not justified and fair just because it benefits Google and it's shareholders. By this logic I shouldn't go to jail if I rob a bank.
okket 9y ago
Why is this evil? That is easy: Just image Google were as dominant as it is now - but a German (or even Chinese) company. I guess there were regulations, taxations and tariffs in about zero seconds. In case of China, even national security regulations.

mehwahnah999 9y ago

Uh-oh. People with real power are starting to turn on the Google-topia.