Media Insider: More On Fake News, Reader Comments a Good Thing, Pinterest Adds New Feature

Welcome to Media Insider, PR Newswire’s round up of journalism, blogging and freelancing stories from the week.

Photo by Top Rank Marketing, used under (CC BY 2.0).

Google Is Killing A Section Of Desktop Search That Was A Target Of ‘Fake News’ Criticism (Business Insider)

Google is taking steps to avoid the spread of fake news by removing its “In the news” section at the top of desktop search, and replacing it with a carousel of “Top stories.”  The change comes after Google faced scrutiny for a fake election news story that appeared as a top result. However, Business Insider reports that the tech giant has been planning the update for some time. The new search results view — along with the removal of the word “news” — will hopefully help readers differentiate between human-vetted Google News and stories that appear as a result of search algorithms.

Most Americans Who See Fake News Believe It, New Survey Says (BuzzFeed)

Speaking of fake news: An online survey of 3,015 American adults revealed that 75% of Americans believe fake news articles to be accurate. BuzzFeed’s poll was conducted by Ipsos in wake of the fake news frenzy that has plagued the media since the presidential election. Respondents were asked to rate familiar stories on an accuracy scale. The survey found an alarming 84% of Republicans and 71% of Democrats rated fake headlines (among those they recognized) as accurate.

Let’s Give Reader Comments Another Chance –And For Real, This Time (Medium)

Co-founder & publisher of De Correspondent Ernst-Jan Pfauth reports that it makes good business sense to allow reader comments on stories. As “our duty as journalists” to prompt conversation, Pfauth includes six reasons that journalism outlets should not disable their comments sections. Of the takeaways: subscriber loyalty, connecting with readers, producing higher quality pieces, boosting personal networks, increasing reach, and contributing more diverse reporting.

Pinterest Lets Users Know If Ideas Are ‘Tried And True’ (SocialTimes)

Have you ever wondered if that online recipe, complete with mouth-watering image, is as good as it seems? Pinterest has a new feature that allows users to add their stamps of approval to Pins they have actually tried, reports SocialTimes. The feature, known as tried and true ideas, will show a green smile icon that indicates how many users have tried the idea in Pins, allowing pinners to see real feedback before trying.

Former Bloomberg Editor Joshua Topolsky Launches ‘The Outline’ (The Wall Street Journal)

Former Bloomberg and Verge editor Joshua Topolsky is in the market to attract a smart, younger audience with the launch of his app “The Outline,” reports The Wall Street Journal. App users can expect The Outline to help them discover top news stories via a Snapchat-inspired view, designed to incorporate more artsy ad placements. Topolsky noted that his venture-funded app received skepticism from the investor community, but that “the ad people got it right away.”

Subscribe to Beyond Bylines to get media trends, journalist interviews, blogger profiles, and more sent right to your inbox.

Tabresha B. Langham is a Customer Content Specialist with PR Newswire. She also is a social media enthusiast, foodie, and lover of SEC Football (War Eagle!). Follow her at @PRNmedia and @TabreshaL.