Google to give newsmakers a say

Google plans to launch a new program that will allow the subjects of news stories to comment on the articles.

The experimental program will place comments from parties connected with the article alongside items that appear on its Google News service. The service allows users to search through current news stories just as they would web pages in Google's regular search engine. Results are then returned as links to the articles themselves.

Under the new system, Google News will also place comments from the subjects of the story alongside the article results.

The aim of the program, explained Google News engineers Dan Meredith and Andy Golding, is to give voice to those directly involved in the story.

"We're hoping that by adding this feature, we can help enhance the news experience for readers, testing the hypothesis that whether they're penguin researchers or presidential candidates, a personal view can sometimes add a whole new dimension to the story," wrote Meredith and Golding in a company blog.

In order to post a comment, subjects must submit the comment text along with title and company information. Commenters will also be required to include a link to the story and an email address that can be used to verify the identity of the commenter.

Google acknowledges the possibility for fraudulent comments, and the company promised that other means of verification, such as contacting a company's corporate office or cross-checking information with journalists, may also be used in certain cases.

Once the identity is confirmed, the subjects comment will be labelled 'comment' and posted unedited alongside the article.

The initial trial of the comment program will only be available in the US, but if it is successful Google plans to expand the program worldwide.