Unhappy with the mainstream media these days? Having trouble with the fact that the paper of record helped drive the country to war with misleading stories on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction? Disappointed in their coverage of the "issues" in the recent US presidential election? Choose a different source for your news. Or, should I say, let let Google choose your news for you.
In their own words, Google News is highly unusual in that it offers a news service compiled solely by computer algorithms without human intervention. While the sources of the news vary in perspective and editorial approach, their selection for inclusion is done without regard to political viewpoint or ideology. While this may lead to some occasionally unusual and contradictory groupings, it is exactly this variety that makes Google News a valuable source of information on the important issues of the day."
In other words, Google applies what it does for search to the news. The sources that appear on the news pages are diverse--today's news featured stories ranging from small publications like the Monterey County Herald to the giant New York Times . International sources are also well represented--have you read the Borneo Bulletin lately? Another useful Google news feature;it groups coverage on a particular story, so if you want to see another paper's take on an issue, it's as easy as viewing one of the umpteen related links. It's a post-modern paradise.
I am beginning to think that new tools like Google news can help us stay involved, make sense of the world, and ultimately, hold the representatives we send to office accountable for their actions.
i recommend newsmap for an excellent visual representation of the stories that are aggregated by Google News.
http://www.marumushi.com/apps/newsmap/newsmap.cfm
Posted by: Jason | November 12, 2004 at 10:15 PM