Online News Reliability Questioned Amid Metric Media's Political Influence
The reliability of online news sources has come under scrutiny due to the activities of organisations like the Metric Media network. This network, the largest of its kind, serves political interests by producing local news content, raising concerns about transparency and authenticity.
The Metric Media network's websites have been found to be poorly indexed by Google News, despite most stories being automatically generated. This contrasts with the indexing of most LGIS sites linked to Metric Media. Experts suggest this could be due to differences in content quality or Google's algorithmic assessment favoring sites with more original and rigorously reported content. This issue is part of broader concerns about Google’s content indexing practices and competition, as seen in disputes involving media companies like Penske Media.
Facebook, on the other hand, relies on self-identification for news sources, while Google proactively identifies them for inclusion in Google News. However, both platforms struggle with transparency. A news organisation targeting African American readers, found to have fossil-fuel industry funding, was able to bypass Facebook's and Google's checks. This organisation produced positive stories about coal and negative stories about renewable energy, raising questions about the lack of transparency around funding sources in online news outlets.
Research by the Tow Center found that over a thousand politically backed sites producing largely automated stories are indexed as news sources by Google News. This is despite clear policies against algorithmically generated news. The Tow Center also discussed covertly partisan money funding local news, highlighting inconsistencies in standards for identifying outlets as 'news sources'.
The lack of transparency and inconsistent standards in indexing news sources by platforms like Google and Facebook raise serious concerns. As more people rely on online news, it's crucial to ensure the authenticity and reliability of these sources. Further investigation and stricter guidelines are needed to protect readers from biased or misleading content.
