I came across this post tonight which was notes from an interview with Google’s Eric Schmidt.

Is there some grand gesture Google can make to solve the newspaper industry’s problems?

It’s not obvious what the grand gesture would be. Google can’t make the cost of newsprint go down. We also can’t materially change the way consumers behave, and consumers are in fact moving their lives online. We have been able to send clicks to their Web sites, which they can monetize. So that provides some revenue. The problem is that doesn’t provide enough revenue to offset the loss of the other revenue.

Seriously…read between the lines here.  Now don’t get me wrong – newspapers need to get their act together about 2 years ago, but Google will suffer if newspapers start to disappear.

Schmidt was also quoted saying:

Schmidt drew quite a bit of attention a few months back when he said the company has a “moral imperative” to help newspapers figure out new revenue models.

Imperative, yes – but moral…hmmmm, not sure.  I think Google would feel the loss – and we know they get paid by traffic – and newspapers still have, and are gain more and more traffic everyday.

So – maybe instead of all the newspaper summits – newspapers need to take Eric Schmidt up on his “imparative” to work it out.

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