Shailesh Prakash, a key Google executive in charge of the company’s News efforts and central to the tech giant’s relationships with publishers, has resigned after two years in the role.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Shailesh Prakash, vice president and general manager of Google News, has departed the company amid ongoing tensions between the tech giant and news publishers. Prakash’s resignation comes at a time when Google’s relationships with news outlets remain strained over issues such as traffic declines and compensation for the use of their content.
Prakash joined Google two years ago from the Washington Post, where he spent over a decade as Chief Information Officer, overseeing data and technology. During his tenure at the Post, he played a crucial role in transforming the news outlet’s digital operation and worked closely with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos following his acquisition of the publication in 2013.
At Google, Prakash brought an understanding of publishers’ frustrations as they grappled with declining traffic and sought compensation for Google’s use of their content. In addition to overseeing product and engineering for the News group, he communicated with leaders at news publishers regarding changes related to search and generative AI.
When Prakash joined the company, Google was working to secure deals with publishers in the U.S. for its Showcase product, which pays publishers in exchange for featuring their content on some Google platforms. However, publishers have argued that their content is worth more than what Google has been willing to pay.
Currently, publishers are concerned about Google’s use of their content to produce generative AI overviews, which provide complete answers to search queries along with a link icon to the publishers’ sites that source the information. This practice has further strained the relationship between Google and news outlets.
Google remains the greatest source of traffic to publishers’ websites, as search results often direct users to news articles. However, publishers have balked at payment offers from Google in recent years, believing that their content’s value is not being adequately recognized.
Prakash’s departure comes at a critical juncture for Google as it navigates the evolving landscape of digital news consumption and its relationships with publishers. The tech giant will need to address the concerns of news outlets and find mutually beneficial solutions to ensure a sustainable future for both parties.
Read more at the Wall Street Journal here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
