#New York Times pulls out of Apple News partnership

The Times is pulling out of its agreement with Apple because the iPhone-maker did not give it enough power — including through interaction with readers — to add paying subscribers.

Stories read on Apple News are presented in the app, rather than redirecting to a publication’s website. For the Times, the situation was no longer acceptable.

The move means that New York Times articles will no longer be available on the Apple News app, which in April reported 125 million monthly active users.

“Core to a healthy model between The Times and the platforms is a direct path for sending those readers back into our environments, where we control the presentation of our report, the relationships with our readers and the nature of our business rules,” Times COO Meredith Kopit Levien, chief operating officer told employees in an email. “Our relationship with Apple News does not fit within these parameters.”

The Times’ exit from AppleNews comes as news publications are increasingly at odds with the tech giants that seek to profit off the news that others create through their more expansive delivery platforms.

Earlier this month, a white paper from the News Media Alliance, which represents the New York Post and other large newspapers, blasted Silicon Valley juggernaut Google as a “monopoly power” and a “free-rider,” accusing it of leveraging the popularity of Google News to force publications into unfair agreements.

It is not the first time that the Times has turned its back on Apple News. It previously declined to join Apple News Plus — the paid tier of the service, which gives consumers access to a wide range of magazines and newspapers — out of a desire to not get customers used to finding its content elsewhere.

The newspaper will continue to work with Apple on podcasts and and apps, according to the report.