Google Cuts Funding for California Newsrooms

On Wednesday, Google announced it would reduce financial support for newsrooms in California, aligning with recent state budget cuts. The tech company lowered its initial donation offer to the California Civic Media Fund from $15 million to $10 million.

This decision follows California Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent move to cut the same amount from his budget as part of efforts to address the state’s deficit.

Back in May, Google had pledged to match its contributions to the California fund, committing up to $15 million annually for five years.

Jaffer Zaidi, who serves as vice president of global news partnerships at Alphabet, Google’s parent company, expressed a dedication to the fund’s success, highlighting that the changes align with their original commitment to the California Citizen Media Fund.

California lawmakers intend to finalize the state’s contributions to local news funds in the coming weeks. As of now, Google has yet to sign a memorandum of understanding regarding this contract.