Google Adds "Highly Cited" Labels for News Sources

[engine]

There are a few announcements to Google News Search just announced today. Some of it was announced previously, but was discussed in the announcement as a reminder, however, the following is enhanced or new.

The existing notice, "It looks like these results are changing quickly" is being extended to searches in English in the U.S., to also include tips to help readers evaluate information trust online.

Google will start to show "Highly Cited" labels to appear in the Top Stories. This label is to help users identify a stories that are cited by other news publishers. Google says it'll be on mobile in English for the U.S. and will roll out globally in the coming weeks.



[blog.google...]

[phranque]

This label is to help users identify a stories that are cited by other news publishers.

i can think of plenty of "other news publishers" who "cite" an original news story without actually linking to it.
i wonder how well google is identifying this phenomenon specifically among news publishers.

[tangor]

A secondary that g might NOT have considered is that this action PROVES they are a PUBLISHER with EDITORIAL CONTENT and thus might lose their Section 230 protections (USA) ... and hope that legislators won't notice the change.

YMMV

This is not enhancing the serps, it is editorializing...

[engine]

I think this is a useful tool. Locating the original story is important, especially as it could include additional details, and it also helps the journal that broke the news story.

In addition, you can see other publications that might be carrying the story, but have enhanced it through follow-ups.

[DominicJ]

So.... wholesale news outlets like Associated Press & Reuters get a Label, and actual journalists who write original content get a Label... and all the hacks that just ripoff their hard work and re-write it don't get a Label.
That might just be an improvement.

[aristotle]

I must not understand this too well.

Suppose a small obscure website publishes an original news report, based on special "inside" information. Then suppose a large well-known news site verifies the information and then publishes a new version of the same story ( with a link to the small site as the original source of the basic information). Then suppose dozens of other major news sites publish discussions and opinion pieces about the matter, but cite the large well-known news site as their authority.

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

Can we get "highly cited" labels back on youtube videos too?

It's just a label. Good journalism will typically have links and images for you to be able to verify yourself and will focus very little on how you're supposed to feel about it. We'll soon see political bias more easily with this I suspect.. Isn't that why youtube got rid of the upvote?

There will be original work light on verifiable fact and heavy on feelings that gets highly cited while someone who evaluates the story further and finds things not mentioned gets ignored. It happens a lot right now.

NEEDED - a method of eliminating same ownership citation votes... else whoever has the biggest media linkwheel always wins.

[Sgt_Kickaxe]

Just a thought: Some news sites "find" much of their news on Instagram and Twitter and write content taken from those sources as news. Will the social networks become "highly cited" news too?