The Bias Of Google News

Why are Chabad.info, Chabad.org and Lubavitch.com indexed as Google News sources?

I did a Google news search for "Agriprocessors" a few minutes ago and got a result that I think clearly shows a bias in how Google selects news sources to index.

Listed in the top 10 results is a story from a Chabad blog, Chabad.info on Agriprocessors 'resurgence.' 

The story is stolen from Kosher Today and used by Chabad.info without attribution.

Please click images to enlarge.

Chabad.info listed on Google News (10th link) dated June 7:

The Chabad.info post stolen from Kosher Today and used without attribution:

The original article on Kosher Today dated June 1:

But this isn't the end of Google's bizarre behavior. Look who else is considered a news source by Google – Lubavitch.com, Chabad's International Headquarters and public relations center (note the ad for Lubavitch.com at right), and Chabad.org, its international outreach website and public relations arm:

Here's Lubavitch.com:

Chabad.org:

What makes public relations material equivalent to actual news? And why is a Chabad blog like Chabad.info listed as a news source when blogs that are critical of Chabad – like this one – are not so listed and indexed and are, in fact, often persecuted by Google?

If Chabad.info is a Google News source then so should thousands of other blogs, all of who do minimal reporting.

Did you know there are many small newspapers, even some that publish daily, that Google does not index for Google News, including at least one Iowa newspaper I read? But Chabad.info and Chabad's PR organs are news?

Just like those unindexed newspapers, this blog should be indexed as a Google News source. I've broken more stories related to Agriprocessors and the kosher food industry than anyone else, print or broadcast. Add to that the first report of a conversion revocation in America and many other stories.

But don't hold your breath. It is abundantly clear Google doesn't make these decisions on merit.

I expect this is an issue that will one day be resolved in a court of law. No matter how that case comes out, Google loses. Either it will be forced to pay damages to thousands if not hundreds of thousands of websites unfairly cut out of the Google News pie and/or it will be forced to explain how it makes it decisions on who is in and who is out. Either scenario is a loser for Google, and that loss cannot come too soon. 

Comments

[danny]

See my blog post here about why I have renounced Judaism and feel to blog on my rant pro or con. Thanks. danbloom@gmail.com

http://northwardho.blogspot.com/2009/06/jewish-author-renounces-judaism-over.html

http://www.rantrave.com/Rant/The-Ugly-Sick-Racist-Video-of-Jews.aspx

The Ugly, Sick, Racist Video of Jews Posted on YouTube by Max Blumenthal

DANNY BLOOM BLOGS: "This is such a disgusting video, as a Jewish American man, 60, i am deeply ashamed of these young men and women in the video, and because of this video I am renouncing my Judaism today - publicly. Not that anyone reads my blogs, but here it is. I will never again call myself a Jew. This was a very sad day in modern Jewish life, and the makers and distributors of the video should be ashamed of themselves. Oi."

[FirstGenerationBavarianAmerican]

I call Google News the Caveat Emptor site. I also think you are right in that there will be a lot of court cases that will decide policy at Google News.

In addition to the propaganda sites you list, Google indexes press releases distributed by PR newswire. PR Newswire is a "Pay to Play" site. A lot of those releases are propaganda. Google also indexes some of those European "manufactured news" promulgators with such stories as "92 Year Old Women Gives Birth to Quints".

This site is indexed by Google Blogs, one of the options under "more" at the top of Google pages. There are plenty of sites aimed at web masters giving tips on how to get accepted by and indexed by Google news.

[Dr. Dave]

OK - all of you need to learn (google?) SEO -search engine optimization.

There are certain rules that will move you up on the google rankings and cetain moves that will get you delisted.

The rules constantly change.

The chabad webmasters are obviously following the rules.

[Shmarya]

NO.

Google News is DIFFERENT from standard Google search.

This has nothing to do with SEO.

[zach]

Danny, you said "because of this video I am renouncing my Judaism today".

You're an idiot. Why don't you just resign from the human race since you will never find ANY group that doesn't have offensive and bigoted members.

[itchiemayer]

Zach is right - Danny, if you are that simple-minded that a single video makes you renounce your faith, then your faith was not solid to begin with. Pathetic.

[yankele]

SHmarya,

Are you charging Danny for linking his crap on your site????

then take him off!!!

[harold]

So long Danny! Out of curiousity, what will you be calling yourself?

[Just a Goy]

OR, you could try ' Koogle '... The new (U)OJ search engine.

http://www.koogle.co.il (Hebrew)

http://www.koogle.co.il/English/ (English, buggy)

[WoolSilkCotton]

WSC here, reporting live from Dublin...

June 16 is Bloomsday. The Bloomsday Walk begins at 1:30pm.

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/food-drink/bloomin-typical-1773686.html

Will start the day with a visit to Bretzel's Bakery.
http://www.bretzel.ie/

Then a visit to the Jewish Museum:
http://www.jewishireland.org/museum.html

Then on to 52 Clanbrassil Street, where a big crowd is expected at Leo Bloom's house.

Then a taxi up to the James Joyce Center for The Walk, then a visit to the Dublin Writers' Museum.

Gorgonzola sandwich with mustard on Bretzel's Challah for a late lunch, wash it down with a Smithwick's Red Ale, and the day is complete!

I agree with Zach and Itchie.
Danny, you are approaching this the wrong way. Reject the hate, but realize it may take those shmucky kids a few more years to come to their senses. They're just foolish babies, raised in a sheltered life, and only repeating what they heard from their parents at the dinner table.

And to those who 'need' koogle as their search engine, you're getting just what you deserve.