Google starts service it says will help newspapers

Google is teaming up with The New York Times and The Washington Post in what it says is an attempt to help out the ailing newspaper industry. The new project, called "Living Stories", debuted in the experimental "labs" section on Google's website. The service is supposed to make it easier for readers to follow evolving news stories. It will package stories from both the Times and the Post so the coverage can be more easily updated to include new developments. Some of the initial topics featured on the service included health care reform, executive pay and the Washington Redskins football team.

Google isn't paying the newspapers to feature the content, and there aren't any immediate plans to sell advertising alongside the material, said Josh Cohen, a Google product manager overseeing the project