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Google had some inaccurate news stories listed in their top stories section in search when people Googled [agung]. Mount Agung is currently erupting, you can check out the fake photos and videos of it on Twitter if you want or read about it on Wikipedia.
The other day, Dr. Janine Krippner, a PhD in this topic, a volcanologist, complained to Google about the news results that were in the top stories section that read "Volcano warning: Mount Agung fears as extinction-causing eruption..." It is 100% a lie she said and it shows right below the SOS alert from Google. Here is the screen shot she shared:
Danny Sullivan goes on Twitter to try to explain and defend Google for showing this fake news, here are his tweets:
I promise you that I have passed along the feedback. Many people have reviewed it. I've checked back on it myself several times. And I totally understand the concern about sensationalist or inaccurate headlines. But. It's complicated....
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) December 2, 2017
For one thing, various stories move in and out. When I first flagged this, it had already changed to things that weren't incorrect or inaccurate. And for me right now, I don't see that.... pic.twitter.com/RsqtnhTmYq
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) December 2, 2017
Here's The Independent and Newsweek on super eruptions. They are not showing for searches on Agung -- but they could. And then potentially, do they get pulled? You hopefully can see some of the complexity.... pic.twitter.com/CBmJSOOH52
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) December 2, 2017
Even more complicated, while the headline is sensationalist -- and please forgive me because I absolutely know you're an expert here -- it doesn't seem untrue what's reported off the actually study. Indeed we have non-tabloids saying that...
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) December 2, 2017
Make no mistake. The story selection could be better there. People searching on that would be better served by calm, non-sensational stories. And that's what's being discussed. Promise. But that's not going to be a change that happens overnight....
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) December 2, 2017
Another problem is that you might think the simple solution is to just pull The Express. But we generally do not pull specific publications except for some major violations -- none of which they seem to have done....
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) December 2, 2017
So while I know you and others are finding those results disappointing, I hope this explains a bit more why they won't immediately change. But I promise you the concern here has been heard, is being discussed and we hope to improve generally with this in the future.
— Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) December 2, 2017
So this is how the Dr. responds on Twitter:
I do pic.twitter.com/npljCIz47d
— Dr Janine Krippner (@janinekrippner) December 2, 2017
This has been an issue, is currently an issue and will be an ongoing issue for Google. We know Google is working on it but clearly they have some way to go.
Forum discussion at Twitter.
