Newsletter
Google News has dropped a bombshell for magazine enjoyers, announcing the discontinuation of all support for magazine content starting December 18, 2023. Subscribers of magazine content through Google News now face the challenge of finding alternative means to enjoy their favorite content. However, Google is offering a lifeline, allowing users a window of opportunity, just shy of a month, to export and save their purchased magazine content.
Ashwarya, a member of the Google News Team, shared this update:
“Support for magazine content in Google News is being discontinued beginning on December 18, 2023, which means if you previously purchased or subscribed to magazines, access from Google News apps or news.google.com to your library of magazines will be removed.
To continue to access previously purchased magazine content, we are providing the opportunity to export and save each purchased issue. In some cases, purchased magazines contain interactive elements that cannot be downloaded and saved for future access, and we are offering a refund for this content”.
Google News has announced the discontinuation of all support for magazine content starting December 18, 2023
For context, Google News plays a pivotal role in the media landscape, supporting over 2300 news outlets. Monthly, it generates more than 24 billion clicks to publishers’ websites via Google Search and Google News. The abrupt demise of magazine support raises questions about evolving user media consumption habits.
To ease the situation, Google is allowing users to either download their purchased content or opt for a full refund, particularly for magazines with interactive features. Notably, this move follows Google’s discontinuation of its print-replica magazine service in January 2020. The removal of all print-replica magazines was also accompanied by refunds for users with outstanding subscriptions.
The history of magazine content on Google News, dating back to 2012, now ends abruptly. However, this does not signal the demise of magazines; rather, it marks the conclusion of their distribution through Google News. Users can continue to support their favorite magazines through alternative channels, such as direct access via the magazines’ websites.
Does this decision predict the extinction of magazines? Not necessarily. Instead, the decision indicates a clear shift in user consumption patterns on the platform, signaling Google’s reluctance to sustain a declining medium.