Having made peace with news agencies that have challenged it in court, such as Agence France-Presse, Google said it intends to start carrying articles from news agencies on the Google News site. Up until now, Google News only provided links to the sites of publishers presenting syndicated news agency content.
Cohen said Google's goal has been to offer users as many different perspectives on a story as possible. Perversely, the volume of stories indexed by Google News usually includes duplicate stories from news agencies posted by different publishers. As Cohen notes, that can end up "burying those different perspectives."
Thus, Google News is gaining duplicate detection. "Instead of 20 'different' articles (which actually used the exact same content), we'll show the definitive original copy and give credit to the original journalist," said Cohen.
Cohen adds, "Of course, if you want to see all the duplicates on other publisher Web sites with additional analysis and context, they're only a click away."
The question is how many readers will prefer the duplicate over the original. If most people end up reading the source material on Google News, publishers who buy widely syndicated content may find that Associated Press articles, for example, are bringing in less traffic. As a consequence, they may become less willing to pay for AP articles. And that would end up making news agencies more dependent on Google for distribution and revenue.
More Internet Insights
White Papers
Toshiba Medical Research Institute seeking Analog ASIC Specialist in Vernon Hills, IL
UC Berkeley seeking Remedy Administrator/Developer in Berkeley, CA
Lowe's seeking DC Systems Administrator I in Cheyenne, WY
Protingent Staffing seeking UI Designer in Costa Mesa, CA
Graduate School of Library and Info Sci seeking Asst Dean for Infrastructure in Champaign, IL
For more great jobs, career-related news, features and services, please visit our Career Center.
The 9 Noble Truths of Custom Experience: Website Wisdom for Everyone in the Organization
Everyone involved in Web application development must understand how their efforts impact the Website visitors experience. Discover the advantages of a collective approach. Learn from real-world examples. And receive your own user experience checklist.
read more
NOTE: Offer valid for U.S., U.S. possessions, & Canada only