Well, the news organizations must love this one. With all of the controversy that has been going on in the online news world, and in particular, the tension between big news organizations and Google, it must have come as a surprise to a lot of people to learn that Google News is now featuring Wikipedia entries in its results.
Screenshot Courtesy of planetc1 on Flickr
This is a controversial move. There’s no question about it. Like most controversies however, there are two sides to the story, and in this case, there are those who think it is a smart move, and those who think it’s a terrible idea. Unsurprisingly, the Twitterverse is conveying a wide range of opinions on the matter:
Reasons Why This is a Positive Thing for Google News
– Could provide a frequently updated and monitored (by a community of people) article for any news topic where a Wikipedia entry is featured in the results
– Simply just another source for users to check out. People know what Wikipedia is, and they’re already frequently using it on the web.
– Could actually improve the quality of Wikipedia due to the added amount of spotlight it receives
Reasons Why This is a Negative Thing for Google News
– Could create more friction between Google and News Organizations
– Could diminish the credibility of Google News results (depending on who you ask)
– Could present non-facts at any given time due to Wikipedia’s editorial style (though with entries appearing in news results, it will just be that many more eyeballs on the article, ready to call out false information)
What do you think of Google’s decision to include Wikipedia results in Google News? Do you think it’s a good idea or a bad idea? Tell us why.
There are probably more pros/cons to the move tha I mentioned here. If I left something out, feel free to share it with murdok readers.
