The behavioral economics consultancy FehrAdvice & Partners has presented the results of a study that, for the first time in Poland, estimates the value of journalistic content for Google. According to a report commissioned by the Digital Publishers Employers’ Association (ZPWC), the fair annual compensation from Google to Polish media for the use of their content should amount to 78.67 million euros.

A recent study based on a representative sample of 2,062 Polish internet users found that 68% preferred Google search results that include journalistic content over those without. “Our study applies advanced behavioral economics methods to measure how much value journalistic content actually creates for Google in Poland,” said Alexis Johann, co-author of the study at FehrAdvice & Partners. “Rather than relying on theoretical models alone, we observed how users behave in a realistic search environment.”

“The results of the Fehr Advice study provide a solid, data-driven basis for shaping the framework for fair compensation of media in the Polish digital information ecosystem. Although Polish journalists provide content that builds user trust, attracts attention, and improves platform performance, they largely remain uncompensated,” said Maciej Kossowski, President of the Digital Publishers Employers Association. Key findings of the report:

• Journalistic content significantly enhances the user experience – Google is perceived as more complete (+31%), up-to-date (+25%), trustworthy, and high-quality when it includes media content.
• Media content helps Google retain users in its ecosystem – more people stay within Google products, and fewer move to external sites.
• Users are willing to pay up to 18% more for Google with media content compared to the version without such content.
• Without media content, Google risks long-term user loss – preferences for the search engine drop by nearly 8%, and time spent on the site decreases by 12.5%.

The study is based on actual market data, including search advertising revenues (577 million euros) and Google’s share of the Polish search market (91.14%). Considering that 55% of searches are information-related and 68% of users prefer results containing media content, the report estimates that approximately 196.68 million euros of Google’s revenue in Poland is directly related to journalistic content. The full report “The Value of Media for Google in Poland” is available for download here.