Don’t be held to ransom by Google and Facebook, says FT online editor

Shrimsley: “We are big believers in reach but we also believe in return”

The online editorial chief of UK’s Financial Times has warned media companies they risk becoming “small suppliers” to Google and Facebook and expressed concern that too many publishers are losing sight of their own business model.

Robert Shrimsley, editor of FT.com, said any business that relies on subscriptions must be careful amid fears distributing content though third party platforms, including the search and social giants, could undermine that model.

Reach for the sake of it is worthless, he said, adding that publishers are leaving themselves exposed to the whims of distributors.