blog Fascinating video above by Jim Stewart from our favourite Aussie search engine optimisation firm StewArtMedia. In the video, Stewart dissects how news aggregator Google News treated reporting of yesterday’s speech by Communications Minister Stephen Conroy.

As many of us noted with frustration yesterday afternoon, the mainstream media’s obsessive interest in the fact that Conroy very briefly swore on live television dominated discussion of the speech; despite the fact that the Minister delivered a very polished rebuttal of the Coalition’s rival National Broadband Network policy, making some very sound policy points. The reader discussion of that issue is on fire this morning. And Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has already responded.

Stewart points out that early in Google News’ coverage of the event, articles reporting the content of Conroy’s speech were popular, but as the afternoon wore on, they dropped out of the system as coverage of Conroy’s swearword took precedence — presumably because more links were flooding in about Conroy’s F-bomb, generating more popular interest and so on.

Now, to my mind, this is just another example of the dumbing down of Australia’s political debate. A Minister makes a substantive policy speech in a national forum and drives a national debate forward, but all that most media outlets report is the fact that he accidentally used the F-word when passionately answering a question from a reporter? Give me a break. What happened yesterday truly was a sideshow.

What responsibility does Google News bear? Not much. To be honest, the site’s mathematical ranking algorithm correctly highlighted the fact that the media was going batshit crazy about Conroy’s minor swearword infraction. Because there were so many links going everywhere about that issue, that’s what Google focused on. Google News reflects the best of journalism when it’s popular, and the worst of journalism when it’s popular — but it always reflects what’s popular.

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1. Michael Wyres
   Posted 14/12/2011 at 12:28 pm | Permalink | Reply

   “Now, to my mind, this is just another example of the dumbing down of Australia’s political debate. A Minister makes a substantive policy speech in a national forum and drives a national debate forward, but all that most media outlets report is the fact that he accidentally used the F-word when passionately answering a question from a reporter?”

   + eleventyBillion

2. Kristina
   Posted 14/12/2011 at 7:59 pm | Permalink | Reply

   Hmm, can’t argue. As a ‘common’ bystander the only news I heard regarding any of this was the oft replayed brief quote including a bleeeped word. I was never even sure where other than I think the Press Club it was made. I did know it was during kiddie TV time though, on live TV no delay, etc… It was on the first occasion I heard it followed by discussion of the sad downfall of society when a man models womans lingerie. Ho hum…. for the record he looks too damn good.

   Kristina

   • F--- Yeah
     Posted 15/12/2011 at 10:36 am | Permalink | Reply

     Media outlets still get all high-and-mighty when someone swears, but happily air violent and swear-filled pap like Underbelly. But this is a long-raging debate.

     There is only one real conclusion to read from this: If a news outlet could just get Stephen Conroy to swear while modelling women’s lingerie, the internet would instantaneously explode.

3. Sudha
   Posted 30/12/2011 at 11:03 pm | Permalink | Reply

   Google is only concerned about links. You are right google News mirrors what is poular, whether good or bad. :)

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