Google is a unique company. There are not many companies that achieve such a level of commonality almost. What I mean by that is that I will say “Let’s Google it” instead of “Let’s search the internet for it.” Saying “Let’s Google it” is much like when many people say Band-Aid for a bandage or Kleenex for a tissue. You know you have reached success when your brand name is used to refer to the general product.
Since Google is a major force in determining what comes up in a person’s internet search and many ways people access news information is through the internet those in media, or who hope to work in media, need to pay attention to Google.
Google is so powerful that it could determine what sites show up, meaning the story you write for online publishing may be affected by the way Google conducts its’ key word searches.
So when you think about it, even though Google may not be much of a producer of news but it is a way to communicate and inform the public making it a media outlet in itself.
Google is a business and businesses are in the business to make money. So, it is not surprising that Google too has many of those sponsored ads showing up at the top and sides of the Google search pages. Just because it has these ads does not mean that Google is an evil corporation looking to manipulate the public as many other internet news websites are also filled with banner ads and pop-ups.
Google will only succeed as a business if it continues to produce quality searches for the public so for now I think the public will be safe from any possible corruption occurring from the Google Company.