APPS
APPS
APPS
YouTube invests $25 million to combat spread of misinformation
Google LLC-owned YouTube is taking steps to steer its billions of daily viewers towards reputable news and away from what’s become known as “fake news” as well as the many conspiracy theories that can be found on the platform.
YouTube announced the changes Monday and an investment of $25 million that will include putting “more authoritative content in front of people.”
The biggest change is the addition of a scrolling shelf, which will put breaking news stories above all other search results. These are intended to be from reputable sources. This feature is now available in 17 countries, but YouTube said that number will double in the coming months.
As YouTube explained in a blog post, making videos can be timely for media, so from now on written articles from various news sources will appear alongside breaking news stories. This selection of written articles will appear as stories break, informing readers that breaking stories usually evolve.
“YouTube has a responsibility to make authoritative sources readily available, provide context to help people make their own decisions, and support journalism with technology that allows news to thrive,” YouTube Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan said in a statement.
YouTube said its Google PageRank algorithm will play a big part in deciding what is authoritative content. This will be based on the historical credibility of the source and the number of citations on the web.
YouTube also wants to add more context to content that has been the subject of numerous conspiracy theories. It gives the example of the moon landing and the Oklahoma City Bombing. From now on, further information will be provided by third parties, including Wikipedia and Encyclopedia Britannica.
Lastly, YouTube wants to educate its many young viewers about how to consume news or other content on the internet. The company is investing in digital literacy.
“We have teamed up with the Poynter Institute, Stanford University, Local Media Association, and the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) to support MediaWise, a U.S.-based initiative designed to equip 1 million teens with digital literacy skills,” said YouTube.
A group of YouTube creators who have amassed large followings will also get in on the act, helping to provide their audience with the necessary skills to be more discerning when it comes to content.
Image: YouTube
Since you’re here …
… We’d like to tell you about our mission and how you can help us fulfill it. SiliconANGLE Media Inc.’s business model is based on the intrinsic value of the content, not advertising. Unlike many online publications, we don’t have a paywall or run banner advertising, because we want to keep our journalism open, without influence or the need to chase traffic.The journalism, reporting and commentary on SiliconANGLE — along with live, unscripted video from our Silicon Valley studio and globe-trotting video teams at theCUBE — take a lot of hard work, time and money. Keeping the quality high requires the support of sponsors who are aligned with our vision of ad-free journalism content.
If you like the reporting, video interviews and other ad-free content here, please take a moment to check out a sample of the video content supported by our sponsors, tweet your support, and keep coming back to SiliconANGLE.
