Comments on: What news? http://blog.hackbash.com/2007/10/19/what-news/ wake up and smell the copy Fri, 29 Aug 2008 07:41:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: handolio http://blog.hackbash.com/2007/10/19/what-news/#comment-40 handolio Mon, 22 Oct 2007 13:18:49 +0000 http://host.qsoftdns.net/~hackbash/blog/?p=43#comment-40 A good point, though I'm not sure if a lack of selectivity that stems from a lack of editorial expertise quite counts as an agenda. It certainly seems an accidental one, at worst. I think the root of my frustration is that Google News is, if not already, clearly going to become a really important way for people to distribute and find news. There should be somebody in there with a damn good understanding of what news is. Perhaps it's something we can look forward to as the service develops and gains popularity. Anyone know how many journalists there are at Google News, and where Google expects to take it next? <a href="http://blog.hackbash.com/2007/10/15/why-i-hate-24-hour-news/#comment-35" rel="nofollow">Tamsin also recommended Screenwipe</a>. I should catch up with it, but I hardly ever watch telly even if it is Charlie Brooker. A good point, though I’m not sure if a lack of selectivity that stems from a lack of editorial expertise quite counts as an agenda. It certainly seems an accidental one, at worst.

I think the root of my frustration is that Google News is, if not already, clearly going to become a really important way for people to distribute and find news. There should be somebody in there with a damn good understanding of what news is.

Perhaps it’s something we can look forward to as the service develops and gains popularity. Anyone know how many journalists there are at Google News, and where Google expects to take it next?

Tamsin also recommended Screenwipe. I should catch up with it, but I hardly ever watch telly even if it is Charlie Brooker.

]]> By: Tom http://blog.hackbash.com/2007/10/19/what-news/#comment-39 Tom Fri, 19 Oct 2007 10:23:04 +0000 http://host.qsoftdns.net/~hackbash/blog/?p=43#comment-39 Did you see Charlie Brooker's special on TV news the other day? It had a segment from the "Power of Nightmares" guy (can't remember the name, too lazy to Google it) about the rise and fall of TV news. It was suitably scathing about the ridiculous trend towards "your news" and user-generated tosh etc - although the finest televised critique of TV news remains the Simpsons episode about Kidz Newz ;) I think the danger of Google News is that it's news, as selected (and therefore with an agenda set by) a corporation that has no understanding of, well, news. The results can be bonkers - I had to write a press release the other week (don't ask) and it appeared up there in the middle of the stories it prompted. If I was a PR, would that count as coverage? Possibly. The question is, is getting a skewed news agenda from Google really any worse than getting it from, say, the London freesheets / Daily Hell? I'd suggest not. If anything, the utterly crazy spray of results from dozens of bizarre sources that Google produces might be less damaging than a focused Murdoch/Mail/insert-publisher-you-don't-like-here agenda. Did you see Charlie Brooker’s special on TV news the other day? It had a segment from the “Power of Nightmares” guy (can’t remember the name, too lazy to Google it) about the rise and fall of TV news. It was suitably scathing about the ridiculous trend towards “your news” and user-generated tosh etc - although the finest televised critique of TV news remains the Simpsons episode about Kidz Newz ;)
I think the danger of Google News is that it’s news, as selected (and therefore with an agenda set by) a corporation that has no understanding of, well, news. The results can be bonkers - I had to write a press release the other week (don’t ask) and it appeared up there in the middle of the stories it prompted. If I was a PR, would that count as coverage? Possibly.

The question is, is getting a skewed news agenda from Google really any worse than getting it from, say, the London freesheets / Daily Hell? I’d suggest not. If anything, the utterly crazy spray of results from dozens of bizarre sources that Google produces might be less damaging than a focused Murdoch/Mail/insert-publisher-you-don’t-like-here agenda.

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