Now, Google News will offer more context around stories
Every now and then, Google experiments with the News section of Search to improve the experience of readers while giving them the latest and most relevant updates from credible sources. Now, to push this effort forward, the internet giant is exploring a way to enhance its results page with "more context" around news stories its readers search for. Here's all about it.
'For context' secondary tab appearing on results page
As reported by multiple outlets, Google has started testing a secondary 'For context' box in the 'Top stories' section of its main search results page. Typically, this carousel shows featured news articles around a searched topic, but with the inclusion of the new box, it also offers a second, broader story on the same topic, giving you a better, clearer understanding of the news.
Secondary story comes from the same outlet
The story mentioned under 'For context' also comes from the same outlet that had published the main featured story, seemingly indicating that Google will not use this to redirect traffic from one publication to another - which might be a concern for many. The change is small but may come extremely handy in gaining a detailed insight into something that is trending.
Here are some examples of the new 'For context' tab
Test limited to select topics and regions
The second story box, although pretty useful, is currently limited to mobile searches in select regions. Also, at the moment, it only shows up with select stories from limited publications, which seems to indicate that it might be working only for specific topics right now. Google has not commented on the development or on how it decides which topics would need a secondary story.
This comes as efforts to curb misinformation continue
The latest effort will help readers get a clear understanding of topics before sharing anything on social media platforms - something that will eventually curb misleading posts online. In similar efforts, Facebook has started warning users about old articles they were about to share, while Twitter began showing misinformation warning labels and would remind people to read first before retweeting.
