Google: Is all the news fit to post?

Nestled among the headlines from the thousands of newspapers, magazines and wire services that appear on Google News are press releases and government statements that are not clearly distinguished from actual news articles.

Press releases that companies distribute through commercial services and that appear on federal Web sites currently receive equal billing with legitimate news sources, a practice that Google on Tuesday said it would change.

In response to a query from CNET News.com, a representative for the popular search engine said that Google would in the future differentiate corporate and government statements from news articles. "It is not our intention to list press releases without clearly marking them as a press release," the representative said. "I will notify the team about the issue...and we will work to fix the problem."

Google began indexing press releases in its Google News search--introduced last year and still in beta--about two months ago.

Press releases from PR Newswire and Business Wire have been clearly labeled, but not those originating from many other sources such as Yahoo News, individual companies and government agencies. Examples include press releases from the Recording Industry Association, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. government's Voice of America operation.

Google News areas "where press releases are included but not clearly marked are bugs," a Google representative said. "We appreciate you bringing the issue to our attention. Google News is still in beta, and we are constantly working to improve the service." Google would not say how many corporate and government sites are searched for press releases.

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