Google’s publishing plans

Google made another foray into producing original content Monday when it announced its plans to buy the Frommer’s brand of travel guides from John Wiley & Sons to augment its local and travel search results. It is rumoured that Google will pay about $23 million for the brand although the companies have declined to comment on the purchase price. It is a small acquisition for Google, but important for several of Google’s up-and-coming businesses. According to the New York Times, the deal shows how crucial a business local search and reviews are for Google. It is also the latest evidence that Google is trying to transform itself into a media company — making its mission not just to show the most relevant links from around the Web, but to produce that information as well. Read the full article on the NYTimes’ media decoder here.