Though French weekly Charlie Hebdo was knocked down, the satirical magazine is looking to bounce back in a big way – and Google has stepped up to help the cause.
The paper is planning a massive print run next week – a million copies. To put this into perspective, Charlie Hebdo’s normal run is 60,000. According to the publication, next week’s issue will contain eight pages – half of the normal 16.
On Wednesday, masked gunmen opened fire at the magazine’s headquarters in an apparent terrorist attack. Twelve people were killed, eight of whom were journalists for Charlie Hebdo. The casualties included the magazine’s editor since 2012, cartoonist Stéphane Charbonnier. Authorities have identified three suspects – brothers Said Kouachi and Cherif Kouachi, who are still on the loose, and Hamyd Mourad, who is currently in police custody.
With much of its staff killed in the attack, Charlie Hebdo needs some help to meet it ambitious goal. Enter Google, who has pledged to donate €250,000 from its press innovation fund to help the cause. This donation matches another €250,000 that was pieced together by other French newspaper publishers.
.@WestYorksPolice observe minute's silence after @charlie_hebdo_ attacks http://t.co/qhfryvVqz0 #JeSuisCharlie pic.twitter.com/oxttSqoVZr
— Huddersfield News (@Examiner) January 8, 2015
Google has also placed a “Je Suis Charlie” (I am Charlie) graphic on its French homepage as a sign of solidarity.
Image via Thierry Caro, Wikimedia Commons
