March 22, 2005
Dropping Google
I just sent the following letter to Google Adsense Support via their "Send us your question" form:
This is not a question, but a statement.The point, of course, is journalistic integrity. I understand perfectly that the Adsense and News divisions of Google probably have very little to do with one another, but I also understand the basics of business. News departments don't make money, but advertising departments do.Google News has now added neo-Nazis (National Vanguard) to their index of approved news sources. I, and hopefully other bloggers have tired of an arcane and apparently senseless news source approval process from Google News, that refuses to carry nationally-recognized columnists such as Michelle Malkin, or top bloggers like Instapundit, but that appears more than willing to carry a hotbed of conspiracy theories such as the Democratic Underground.
Quite simply, it doesn't make sense, and verges on the intellectually dishonest.
I am behind Jeff Jarvis' call for transparency, and therefore, I am dropping Google Ads from my blog until this much-needed transparency is provided. I know the few hits I provide will not be missed by your advertisers, but that really isn't the point, is it?
Good day.
In the end, who do you think gets heard?
