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Google algorithm change prioritises original reporting

The tech giant made changes to its search engine algorithms in a bid to elevate original news reporting.

by Simone Flueckiger simone.flueckiger@wan-ifra.org | September 16, 2019

Last week, Google revealed it had made global ranking updates and published changes to its search rater guidelines to highlight original reporting and ensure it stays at the top of search results for longer.

The more than 10,000 raters around the world tasked with validating the company’s algorithms have been instructed to use the highest rating for original news reporting that provides information that would not otherwise have been known had the article not revealed it.

“An important element of the coverage we want to provide is original reporting, an endeavor which requires significant time, effort and resources by the publisher,” Richard Gingras, Google’s VP for News, wrote in a blog post published on Thursday.

“Some stories can also be both critically important in the impact they can have on our world and difficult to put together, requiring reporters to engage in deep investigative pursuits to dig up facts and sources.  These are among the reasons why we aim to support these industry efforts and help people get access to the most authoritative reporting.”

Click here to read the full blog post.

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