Google’s New Algorithm
Google Says a Change in Its Algorithm Will Highlight ‘Original Reporting’
Google has decided that they will be changing their ranking algorithm for web searches. Now, the publication that started a buzz of articles will be the first listed result which would make original reports to be more widely seen. This is especially important because Google impacts the way that we receive news and information. Their ranking algorithm is the basis for the impact. Therefore, their new algorithm will now shift into showing reports of new and original information.
The algorithm will give priority to platforms/outlets that are known for accuracy and one’s that have won awards in the past in an attempt to report original and accurate news. An example given is how the top trending video on YouTube after the Stoneman Douglas School Shooting was a video talking about false theories that called the survivors “crisis actors.” This event attracted viewers but would damage the reputation of the company making it a widely accessible video. So, the algorithm aims to put the most relevant and accurate news at the forefront.
This is a direct correlation to the current course material pertaining to information networks and the world-wide web. Google’s ranking algorithm is built with the visualization of the Web as a network. Link information, (i.e. what websites reference what), is the basis for rankings. When ranking, webpages have a hub score and an authority score to determine their importance and how “good” they are. Essentially, a website with many in-links would see to be widely referenced and reliable. Therefore, Google’s algorithm ranks websites with many in-links from good hubs at the top of a search. I deduce that their new algorithm will refine the search more. They may take more interest in which hubs point to which authorities. An authentic and original reporting should be referenced by reliable sources (meaning it has many in-links from “good” hubs) and the first authority to mention something should be ranked high. This would allow for original and truthful reporting to be shown first.
Additionally, authorities known to be reliable should be expected to be prioritized because their reliability is known. Google’s new algorithm is expected to be beneficial for local news too. It would prioritize local, original information from reliable sources. This would be especially helpful for natural disasters and other high priority situations. It would act by ranking pages according to reliability and importance/originality. In local news, having original reporting is extremely beneficial. It would be done by prioritizing the authorities with many in-links within a certain geographic area. This way it would give the main story pertaining to a local event.