This is something that was pointed out to me a while back, but I’ve only noticed it myself now. Both Trinity News and The University Observer are being indexed by Google News, apparently since the start of this academic year.

This is interesting for a couple of reasons- I know with Trinity News never specifically added itself to Google News. Yet, somehow, we’re recognised as an information portal. We’re currently running on Joomla, whereas the Observer is running on WordPress- meaning that the choice of CMS seems to have little to do with compatibility. Inclusion also raises the stakes for student publications here, as any error or possible defamatory statement could, in theory, be carried in Google News Alerts, delivered by e-mail directly to those whom they refer to. While I’m not suggesting that student papers shouldn’t take due care, it’s a reasonable concern for institutions with such limited resources. I’d also see it as an indicator that Google is listening to all the critics who have been pushing for a focus on hyper-local news.

With some major news organisations complaining about Google’s aggregation, etc, I feel rather privileged to have my institution deemed important enough to join its ranks.

-END-

Posted by Dave Molloy in •Journalism •Tech
(0) Comments | Permalink