Google Says a Change in Its Algorithm Will Highlight ‘Original Reporting’

“Google search results have not rewarded investments in journalism,” Mr. Chavern said in a phone interview Thursday. “If we can get to a place where they do better, that’s good.”

Google seemed to acknowledge with Thursday’s changes that publications that dig up new information could use some help from the platforms.

“Some stories can also be both critically important in the impact they can have on our world and difficult to put together, requiring reporters to engage in deep investigative efforts to dig up facts and sources,” Mr. Gingras said in the post. “These are among the reasons why we aim to support these industry efforts.”

The guidelines from Google would also elevate outlets known for a history of accurate reporting, considering metrics like how many journalism awards a publication has won.

Several tech platforms, including the Google-owned YouTube, have been criticized for seeming to promote sensational content with no basis in fact. Soon after the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., for instance, the No. 1 trending video on YouTube tapped into false theories that the survivors of the shooting were “crisis actors.”

That kind of inflammatory content may attract views in the short run while damaging the reputation of any company that makes it widely available.

The three examples of hard-news articles Mr. Gingras noted in his post were published by large outlets: the Süddeutsche Zeitung in Munich, The Washington Post and The New York Times. It was unclear what the algorithm change would mean for publications in small and midsize cities that have struggled in recent years while trying to transition from print to digital.

Google, Mr. Gingras said, is putting “increased effort into, How do we do right by local outlets?” He cited reporting on natural disasters as the type of local coverage that could benefit from the changes.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/12/business/media/google-algorithm-original-reporting.html?emc=rss&partner=rss