Gannett’s recent lawsuit and the DOJ’s legal actions both claim that Google has stifled competition through its acquisition strategies. The DOJ contended that whenever competitors and customers introduced innovative solutions that threatened Google’s control over specific ad tech tools, the company responded swiftly and effectively with anticompetitive measures.
It is worth noting that Gannett has faced previous allegations of monopolistic practices. Following its acquisition by New Media Investment Group and subsequent merger with GateHouse Media in 2019, Gannett underwent significant downsizing, leading to layoffs and the closure of numerous local news outlets. While Gannett owned 261 daily and 302 weekly newspapers at the time of the merger, those numbers dwindled to 217 dailies and 175 weeklies by the end of 2022. The company’s workforce also saw a substantial reduction, with employee numbers dropping from approximately 25,000 during the acquisition to 11,200 as per the most recent filing report.
