The deal means Google will pay for news produced by Allied Press publications, supplied to its Google News Showcase platform.
Allied Press chief executive Grant Mckenzie said the company was delighted to be working with Google and being able to showcase its unique content to a wider audience.
‘‘This also means we can continue to maintain our journalists who are out there reporting on the things that matter to those in southern New Zealand.’’
News Publishers' Association general manager Brook Cameron was pleased that the collective bargaining process it led on behalf of the industry had resulted in deals with Google for eight publishers.
‘‘Fair payments are vital to the sustainability of independent New Zealand journalism.
‘‘Many more independent New Zealand-owned news publishers registered their interest in being part of the collective and have not yet determined agreements.
‘‘We remain committed to bringing these other parties to the table,’’ he said.
Other publishers to sign the agreement were Stuff, The Spinoff, Ashburton Guardian, Mahurangi Matters and Hibiscus Matters, The Gisborne Herald, Wairarapa Times-Age and the Wanaka App.
Google New Zealand director Caroline Rainsford said the agreements showed Google’s ongoing dedication to New Zealand’s news industry.
‘‘We’re so pleased to be continuing to bring a broad spectrum of Aotearoa’s publications to more audiences through Google News Showcase - from digital natives like Spinoff and Wanaka App, to heritage mastheads from Stuff and Allied Press, through to truly local public interest journalism from The Gisborne Herald and Ashburton Guardian.
‘‘Many of these titles have served their communities for decades, providing vital news and information to their regions.
‘‘We’re pleased to reach these agreements to help support public interest journalism in New Zealand.’’
NZME - owner of The New Zealand Herald, radio stations and five regional daily newspapers - signed its own deal with Google in June last year.
