1. Overview
Richard Louis Gingras, born on January 17, 1952, is an American Internet executive and entrepreneur widely recognized for his extensive contributions to digital media and journalism since 1979. He has held significant leadership roles at prominent organizations including Google, Apple Computer, Salon Media Group, and the PBS. Throughout his career, Gingras has been a vocal advocate for innovation in journalism, emphasizing the importance of an open news ecosystem that supports diverse voices and immediate content consumption. His work has focused on enhancing information dissemination and credibility in the digital age, particularly through initiatives like Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) and The Trust Project.
2. Early Life and Career Beginnings
Richard Gingras's engagement with interactive digital media commenced in 1979. At this time, he was involved in producing one of the earliest interactive online news magazines. This pioneering publication was delivered to several hundred test households through interactive television technology, specifically broadcast teletext. He spearheaded this initiative for the PBS service, specifically at KCET in Los Angeles, which also incorporated service components designed for educational use in schools.
From 1983 to 1986, Gingras assembled and managed a network of television stations across the top fifty U.S. markets. This network was established to facilitate sideband data distribution for a news and advertising service known as Silent Radio. This service presented its content on electronic displays situated in various retail locations.
3. Pioneering Digital Media at Apple and @Home
Gingras held early leadership roles in the development of online services. In the early 1990s, while at Apple Computer, he led the creation of the online service eWorld. This pre-Web online service was considered innovative for its time, though it faced challenges due to its cost and limited subscriber base, being exclusively available on the Macintosh platform despite plans for a PC version.
In January 1996, Gingras joined the nascent consumer broadband network, @Home Network, assuming the role of Vice President of Programming and Editor-in-Chief. In this capacity, he was instrumental in launching @Home's broadband-enabled online portal. @Home Network was established by the Kleiner Perkins venture capital firm in collaboration with major U.S. cable companies, aiming to provide high-speed Internet access. From early 1996 to mid-2000, he continued to lead online service efforts at Excite@Home as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the company's consumer-focused product division, Excite Studios, which encompassed the Excite search engine. Following the merger of @Home and Excite in mid-2000, Gingras took charge of both the Excite and @Home portals.
4. Founding and Leading Salon Media Group
Richard Gingras played a foundational role in the establishment and leadership of Salon Media Group. He was responsible for assembling the initial seed financing for the company in 1995. He served as the Chief Executive Officer of Salon Media Group, which operates the news website Salon.com and the pioneering virtual community The WELL, until July 2011.
5. Entrepreneurial Ventures
Richard Gingras has been a co-founder and leader in several technology companies, focusing on diverse areas from certified email services to software development.
5.1. Goodmail Systems
In 2002, Richard Gingras co-founded Goodmail Systems, where he served as both its Chief Executive Officer and Chairman. Goodmail Systems specialized in developing certified email services. These services were subsequently offered through major email providers, including Yahoo! and America Online.
5.2. MediaWorks
From 1987 to 1992, Gingras was the founder and president of MediaWorks. This company was an Apple-funded startup dedicated to developing early news-agenting and executive support software. Its primary clientele included Fortune 500 corporations.
5.3. MyPublisher
Between 2000 and 2001, Gingras served as the interim president of MyPublisher. During his tenure, he guided the design and development of a custom hardcover photo book service. This service was later introduced by Apple Computer as an integrated part of its iPhoto software.
6. Leadership at Google
Richard Gingras has held significant leadership positions at Google, contributing to its news initiatives and broader public policy engagements. From 2007 to 2008, he served as a strategic advisor to Google's executive team, focusing on strategies related to the evolving landscape of news and television. He later became the Vice President of News at Google, a role he continues to hold. In this capacity, he has been deeply involved in shaping how news content is presented across Google's platforms, including Google Search and Google News. His responsibilities also extend to engaging globally on matters of public policy that influence the principles of the open Internet. In May 2018, he issued a cautionary statement, advising against developing the future of news based on a misinterpretation of past trends.
7. Key Initiatives in Journalism and Technology
Gingras has made substantial contributions to advancing journalism through various technological projects and organizations, consistently aiming to enhance information dissemination and credibility in the digital sphere.
7.1. Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)
He was a key instigator in the creation of the Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) project. This initiative is an open-source effort designed to significantly improve the speed of the World Wide Web and enhance the user experience for advertising, particularly across mobile devices.
7.2. The Trust Project
In late 2014, Richard Gingras co-founded The Trust Project alongside Sally Lehrman of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. The Trust Project represents a collaborative global endeavor within the journalism community. Its core objective is to explore and implement architectural enhancements within journalism to bolster the perceived credibility of high-quality journalistic content.
7.3. Center for News, Technology, and Innovation
Gingras is a founding board member of the Center for News, Technology, and Innovation. This organization functions as a global policy research body dedicated to fostering a deeper understanding of how enabling policies and technologies can influence the ongoing evolution of journalism within a digital society. The center's board includes notable figures such as former The Washington Post executive editor Marty Baron and Nobel Prize-winning journalist Maria Ressa.
8. Philosophy and Advocacy for Journalism
Richard Gingras's career is marked by his strong beliefs and active promotion of advancements within the field of journalism, underscoring its vital role in a democratic society.
8.1. Advocacy for Journalistic Innovation
Gingras is an outspoken proponent for innovation in journalism. He consistently advocates for the adaptation and transformation of journalistic practices, particularly within the context of the Internet and the broader digital revolution. His advocacy aims to ensure that journalism remains relevant, impactful, and capable of fulfilling its societal function in an increasingly digital world.
8.2. Promoting Open News Ecosystems
Gingras actively promotes a vision for an open news ecosystem. He emphasizes the creation of an environment that accommodates a wide array of diverse voices and expressions. In a lecture delivered in Seoul, South Korea, on March 14, 2016, he specifically highlighted the importance of fostering such an ecosystem to support immediate content consumption. He stressed the need for news to adapt to a rapidly evolving digital landscape, ensuring that content is accessible and consumed instantly while maintaining a platform for varied perspectives.
9. Personal Life and Interests
Beyond his professional endeavors, Richard Gingras engages in creative projects and personal hobbies that reflect his broader interests and civic engagement.
9.1. Satirical Projects and Philanthropy
In February 2003, in response to the public disclosure of a secret surveillance project managed by John Poindexter within the U.S. Defense Department, Richard Gingras launched a satirical website named the Total Information Awareness Gift Shop. All revenue generated from sales through this website has been contributed to the ACLU.
9.2. Personal Interests and Anecdotes
Gingras is known for his personal hobby of building complex fires, particularly on the northern California coast. This interest led to an anecdote where, upon giving a commencement speech at West Virginia University, he was introduced as "Google's own 'burning man'," a direct reference to his unique pyrotechnic pursuits. He also gave a talk specifically about these fires at a Newsfoo Unconference in November 2013.
10. Board Memberships and Honors
Richard Gingras has served on the boards of influential organizations and has received notable accolades for his significant contributions to media and technology.
10.1. Board Memberships
He currently serves on the boards of the First Amendment Coalition, the International Center for Journalists, and the World Computer Exchange.
10.2. Awards and Recognition
In the fall of 2012, Louisiana State University recognized Richard Gingras with the Manship Prize for his substantial contributions to the evolution of digital media. He has also been a featured speaker at academic institutions; in May 2013, he delivered the commencement speech at West Virginia University for the Reed School of Journalism, and in the fall of 2015, he gave the commencement address at the Manship School of Communications at Louisiana State University. In 2013, he was a subject of the digital media oral history project, which was produced by the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University.
11. Impact and Legacy
Richard Gingras's career has left a profound and lasting impact on the digital media landscape and the practice of journalism. From his early pioneering efforts in interactive online news in 1979 to his leadership roles at major technology companies like Apple and Google, he has consistently driven innovation aimed at improving how information is created, disseminated, and consumed. His advocacy for journalistic innovation and open news ecosystems has championed the principles of a free and diverse press in the digital age. Through his instrumental role in projects such as Accelerated Mobile Pages, which sought to optimize web speed and user experience, and The Trust Project, which focused on enhancing the credibility of high-quality journalism, Gingras has directly influenced the technical and ethical standards of online news. His involvement with organizations like the Center for News, Technology, and Innovation further underscores his commitment to understanding and shaping the future of journalism in a digital society. His work reflects a dedication to ensuring that journalism remains a robust and trustworthy pillar of public discourse, adapting to technological advancements while upholding its core values of accuracy and transparency.