Several journalists were left dismayed and concerned by the recent announcement that The Messenger, a news website, would be partnering with artificial intelligence company Seekr. Seekr’s algorithm ranks news articles based on their reliability and political leaning, and to the shock of many, it seemed to favor highly politically slanted and unreliable sources like Breitbart and One America News Network over reputable outlets such as The Associated Press and Bloomberg.
What raised further alarm was the fact that Seekr’s algorithm ranked an article from a white nationalist publisher as both “high” and “low” in reliability. This inconsistency and the questionable assessments made by Seekr led many to question the role that technology would play in The Messenger’s coverage. However, the partnership indicates that Seekr’s assessments will only be visible to Messenger journalists internally, with only “verified” stories featured on the website’s homepage.
Seekr’s CEO, Pat Condo, explained that the concept of scoring content became useful for brands that wanted to align themselves with relevant content. Seekr’s public-facing news aggregator tool allows for better ad placement against content that aligns with a brand’s ethos. Still, journalists who had a chance to explore Seekr’s public-facing aggregator page quickly found concerning results from the algorithm.
Jon Schleuss, president of the NewsGuild union and a former newspaper journalist, emphasized that an artificial intelligence training model could not reduce bias in reporting. Imani Gandy, editor-at-large at Rewire News Group, sarcastically remarked, “After all, AI is famously unbiased.” Seekr’s algorithm ranked opinion pieces from white nationalist publisher VDare.com as “very high” in reliability, raising serious questions about the algorithm’s assessment process.
Joshua Benton, founder of Harvard’s Nieman Journalism Lab, highlighted the questionable grades given by Seekr to various outlets' coverage of Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s ouster as House speaker. Right-wing sites like Breitbart and The Blaze were deemed “very high” in reliability, while reliable sources such as The Associated Press and Politico were labeled as having “very low” reliability. Seekr’s judgment of a column from conservative New York Times columnist Ross Douthat as “liberal” also drew criticism.
Despite The Messenger’s assertion that the partnership with Seekr would help the website avoid bias in its news coverage, journalists remain skeptical. Seekr’s technology claims to identify instances of clickbait, title exaggeration, subjectivity, and personal attacks, but even on its own terms, the rankings can be confusing and inconsistent. As one reporter discovered, an article co-authored with HuffPost received both “high” and “low” reliability ratings, with no discernible reason for the discrepancy.
The partnership between The Messenger and Seekr raises important questions about the role of AI in news ranking and the potential for bias in these algorithms. It remains to be seen how this collaboration will impact The Messenger’s credibility and reliability in the eyes of its readers.
In the realm of news, accuracy and integrity are paramount. As AI technology continues to evolve and shape the landscape of news delivery, it is crucial to ensure that unbiased and reliable reporting remains at the forefront. Seeking alternative perspectives and engaging in critical analysis are essential for readers to form well-informed opinions and make sense of the increasingly complex world we live in. With AI becoming ever more integrated into the news industry, it is important to remain vigilant and hold news organizations accountable for their partnerships and the technology they employ.
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