Just when you thought information couldn't possibly get more reliable, Rupert Murdoch has descended from the heavens like a giant albatross to lay this one on us all: MySpace is entering the world of Internet news. Superb.

MySpace is going into the news business with a service that will scour the Internet for news stories and let users vote on which ones receive the most exposure.

This approach blends elements of Google News and sites such as Digg and Netscape, which rely on readers to submit stories and determine their prominence. It also marks the sites ambitions to become a web portal like Yahoo!, providing its users with a front door to the Internet.

In and of itself, it isn't even that interesting or innovative; Google News did it first, and I can't imagine MySpace necessarily doing it better. It's basically just an external news feed, only with the added bonus of lively messageboard comments from 14-year-olds. What is interesting is the bit about users being able to vote on articles for more exposure. It's a curious phenomenon of internet headlines -- back in the solely print days, it was the editor's job to decide which stories got the bigger fonts and the spots closest to the front page, in effect deciding what qualifies as "news." On the Internet, however, every link has an equal shot. This is apparently an issue that has been weighing on Murdoch's mind for quite some time:

The central message was that the days of newspapers editing content into a one-size-fits-all package to be consumed without question by the reader were numbered.

Young people "don't want to rely on a God-like figure from above to tell them what's important," Mr Murdoch said.

"And to carry the religion analogy a bit further, they certainly don't want news presented as gospel.

"Instead, they want their news on demand, when it works for them. They want control over their media, instead of being controlled by it. They want to question, to probe, to offer a different angle."

Yeah, screw those field reporters and doctors of journalism telling me what's important, I demand more articles on My Chemical Romance! Seriously though, fascinating words from Mr. Murdoch. I'm fascinated with if and exactly how the whole voting mechanism, if it catches on, will shape the scope and nature of reporting in the future.

There's also that whole dubious conflict-of-interest thing.

Dan Strauss, who headed the group that developed MySpace News, said that publishers would be able to opt out of the service if they didnt want their stories to appear on it. He also said that media outlets owned by News Corp would not receive favourable treatment.

Oh, sure. Think any News Corp imprints will be opting out?

This whole story would have been a lot cooler if MySpace had been hiring savvy teenage hipster reporters to scour the street for beats and stories that might effect their target audience. But in this ever-expanding world of pure user-generated content, who has the time for that?

_DictionaryGirl_ would like to believe that SG Newswire's punchy spin and erudite vocabulary could beat MySpace's External News Service at arm wrestling any day of the week.

st_even

Milwaukee, WI

September 2006

APR 19, 2007 06:19 PM

Aside from the conflict of interest, how would this be any different from SuicideGirls news? Granted Myspace doesn't allow nudity, but the sites are pretty similar networking-wise.

thefreak

NEWSWIRE

Gardner, MA

APR 19, 2007 06:19 PM

Do you think they could instead, oh, I dunno, make their site not so bad?

-TM

Saraphine

SUICIDEGIRL

Pennsylvania, USA

APR 19, 2007 06:24 PM

Wow. I really can't tell if this will be good or bad. My first reaction is that they were going to dumb down the news big time. But then I thought, maybe it will actually be filtered well and enhance the news. I don't know.

I also love the SG newswire. It's one of my favorite things on here

st_even

Milwaukee, WI

September 2006

APR 19, 2007 06:30 PM

Saraphine said:
I also love the SG newswire. It's one of my favorite things on here

That's my point. SuicideGirls proves newswires on "networking" sites aren't out-of-place. News on Myspace seems like the logical next step.

DevilsReject

Cleveland, OH

February 2007

APR 19, 2007 06:33 PM

st_even said:
Aside from the conflict of interest, how would this be any different from SuicideGirls news? Granted Myspace doesn't allow nudity, but the sites are pretty similar networking-wise.

Myspace = owned by Fox, bad.

SuicideGirls = owned by any other corporation but Fox, good.

Who the hell does own Suicide Girls?

Saraphine

SUICIDEGIRL

Pennsylvania, USA

APR 19, 2007 06:34 PM

BrokenandHostile said:

st_even said:
Aside from the conflict of interest, how would this be any different from SuicideGirls news? Granted Myspace doesn't allow nudity, but the sites are pretty similar networking-wise.

Myspace = owned by Fox, bad.

SuicideGirls = owned by any other corporation but Fox, good.

Who the hell does own Suicide Girls?

Two cupcakes

Saraphine

SUICIDEGIRL

Pennsylvania, USA

APR 19, 2007 06:35 PM

st_even said:

Saraphine said:
I also love the SG newswire. It's one of my favorite things on here

That's my point. SuicideGirls proves newswires on "networking" sites aren't out-of-place. News on Myspace seems like the logical next step.

But will it be better news or dumbed down news? Like Dictionary girl said-- it could end up being about shitty emo bands, due to the voting aspect of it.

NinjaTech

Minneapolis, MN

November 2003

APR 19, 2007 06:36 PM

What is Myspace?

Trahern

United Kingdom

March 2003

APR 19, 2007 06:44 PM

I think it's all a cunning plan to find out what people think is important and then find a way to make money out of it.

...That's all I've got. Nuts.

thefreak

NEWSWIRE

Gardner, MA

APR 19, 2007 06:50 PM

NinjaTech said:
What is Myspace?

It's a magical place where people talk about shitty bands and grown men meet 13-y.o. girls for sexual dalliances.

-TM

sixtyfootqueenie

Australia

January 2004

APR 19, 2007 06:55 PM

you are becoming my fav newswire person lady.... you rule..

saltonsea

Toronto, ON

July 2004

APR 19, 2007 06:57 PM

thefreak said:

NinjaTech said:
What is Myspace?

It's a magical place where people talk about shitty bands and grown men meet 13-y.o. girls for sexual dalliances.

-TM

and chris hansen is the devil...

st_even

Milwaukee, WI

September 2006

APR 19, 2007 07:00 PM

Rupert Murdoch is actually a humanitarian and a centrist, and while he does lean conservative, the real reason Fox News is how it is, is because Murdoch knew that there was a huge audience for that sort of thing. If there's one thing Rupert Murdoch is, he's a hell of a clever businessman.

Darke

Columbia, MO

June 2005

APR 19, 2007 07:03 PM

you know, even if it does illicit 14 year olds spouting off about topics they aren't familiar with, perhaps it might help teach them to stay switched on in their adulthood

thefreak

NEWSWIRE

Gardner, MA

APR 19, 2007 07:07 PM

I really shouldn't say anything, as I have a MySpace, though I rarely update it. Mostly because only one of my friends who I didn't meet here 1st is a member of SG.

-TM

Cigarette

Cleveland, OH

April 2004

APR 19, 2007 07:12 PM

NinjaTech said:
What is Myspace?

Yr so indie you shit Chuck Taylors.

Cigarette

Cleveland, OH

April 2004

APR 19, 2007 07:13 PM

Darke said:
you know, even if it does illicit 14 year olds spouting off about topics they aren't familiar with, perhaps it might help teach them to stay switched on in their adulthood

elicit