Statement of Robert Thomson, Chief Executive of News Corp, On Google's Decision to End 'First Click Free'

News Corp Chief Executive Robert Thomson has responded to news that Google is ending its First Click Free feature, saying that "The felicitous demise of First Click Free (Second Click Fatal) is an important first step in recognizing the value of legitimate journalism and provenance on the Internet."

"We will monitor this change closely to ensure that consumers can indeed find the work of our journalists online, and will report what we learn, for better or for worse. If the change is properly introduced, the impact will be profoundly positive for journalists everywhere and for the cause of informed societies," said Mr. Thomson. "Fake news has prospered on digital platforms which have commodified content and thus enabled bad actors to game the system for commercial or political gain."

Mr. Thomson first discussed Google's plan to end First Click Free at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia Conference on September 12, when he said "Google has been involved in serious negotiations with us about the future of content, about our relationship with them directly, but more importantly, I think Sundar Pichai deserves a lot of credit for taking a different approach. Because it’s not just us...when you look at fake news, when you look at false metrics, when you look at faux advertising, something has to change, both from a commercial perspective, content perspective but also from a social perspective....There's a lot more to negotiate, there's a long way to go, but their willingness to end 'First Click Free' should be celebrated by all publishers."

About News Corp

News Corp (NASDAQ:NWS)(NASDAQ:NWSA)(ASX:NWS)(ASX:NWSLV) is a global, diversified media and information services company focused on creating and distributing authoritative and engaging content to consumers throughout the world. The company comprises businesses across a range of media, including: news and information services, book publishing, digital real estate services, and cable network programming and pay-TV distribution in Australia. Headquartered in New York, the activities of News Corp are conducted primarily in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. More information: http://www.newscorp.com.

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