Why is Google promoting the BNP?
Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Google News is a great thing. Where else could you read 206 different articles about Kanye West's carbon-heavy Welsh korma?

It is, in fact, quite ironic that one of the world's most popular news sites is completely devoid of any journalism at all; it being no more than a mere aggregator of news feeds from all over the globe.

I'd love to know, however, who decides which sources should be included. Surely a pre-requisite for any news provider is at least a semblance of impartiality? And at the very least political press releases should be ruled out because they are so unequivocally partisan.

Strange then, that Google only seem to have one feed from a UK political party, and that's the British National Party. Indeed, a constant stream of latent xenophobia is now a familiar part of the Google apparatus. Even the most innocuous of searches can throw up some BNP propaganda.

I've no idea how the BNP managed to get on Google's list in the first place, but there's no doubt it should be removed, lest a dangerous precedent be set. If other parties followed suit, the curious Welsh public could be bombarded with bias and spin, when what we really expect from news is an element of fairness and scrutiny.

Of course, if anyone does want to read a seemingly interminable outpouring of cobbled-together press releases, then they could always catch-up with the latest from Carwyn Jones' blog.

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posted by Blamerbell @ 8:44 am,

13 Comments:

At 10:27 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I didn't know that the BNP are an illegal organisation....It that's the case, then you might want to question why one of their memebers were given Liberal Democrat support recently at a certain English council!

 
At 10:55 am, Blogger Blamerbell said...

"I didn't know that the BNP are an illegal organisation"

Who said they were?

 
At 11:19 am, Blogger The Green Arrow said...

I suggest it is because the BNP have something to say that the people want to read.

What is it with you guys that anything you disagree with you want banned, crushed or smashed?

Wake up. The BNP are at the Gates. Lots of Laughter.

 
At 11:37 am, Blogger Blamerbell said...

"What is it with you guys that anything you disagree with you want banned, crushed or smashed?"

I don't want it banned, I want it accurately reported.

If Google News is to be worthy of the name it should separate fact from opinion. Political press releases should not be allowed to present themselves as unfiltered news.

 
At 11:59 am, Blogger Unknown said...

The Tories are also on Google News. Example.

One problem with separating fact from opinion in news aggregators is the existence of newspaper opinion pages, which are often not tagged separately to actual news items.

 
At 1:01 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree about Carwyns blog, dull, dull, dull.

Notice no one has commented on his blog though, strange??

Perhaps he only allows positive comments!

 
At 1:22 pm, Blogger Peter Black said...

The Liberal Democrat Councillor concerned has since been suspended from the party. Can't you pay to have your organisation appear higher in google searches?

 
At 2:49 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I hadn't realised there were actually people out there who read Google News. And who the hell is Carwyn Jones anyway? ;-)

 
At 3:30 pm, Blogger The Green Arrow said...

The word "removed" certainly seems like a ban to me.

You honestly cannot believe that the news! from the BBC in anything but biased. I should imagine that applies to all of the main stream media.

So if you do not like what you read then stop reading it and go somewhere else.

 
At 3:39 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Carwyn's blog isn't dull. It shows that the guy has gravitas.

 
At 4:00 pm, Blogger Nic said...

Peter Black: Can't you pay to have your organisation appear higher in google searches?

No, you can't, unless you mean the "sponsored links" that appear at the top of some search pages?

 
At 12:00 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

BNP is in Google's search , since it the name of a French Bank , BNP PariBas.

Where is there a list of who is standing where in the AM seats and regional lists ?

 
At 12:55 pm, Blogger Blamerbell said...

There is a list in Wikipedia which you can get to from my sidebar. But it's not complete. The BBC has the final list and should be putting it on their website shortly (candidates can still withdraw until tomorrow).

 

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