Twitter adds additional context to trends
Twitter adds additional context to trends
Twitter adds additional context to trends Twitter is expanding its efforts to inform users of precisely why a topic is trending. Twitter enhances the way in which it informs users about trend topics through a partnership with The Associated Press (AP) and Reuters. Teaming up with AP and Reuters will enable Twitter to increase the scale and speed of the popular conversation topics.
Twitter is currently explaining top trends in a limited way. This is achieved by adding more information such as a Twitter Moment, a single tweet or a written description to the trend.
• Scale: more contextual descriptions of Twitter trends can be expected by the users.
• Speed: information on popular conversation topics will be provided as they arise in real-time.
• Accuracy: This collaboration will allow Twitter to provide accurate information in disputed circumstances.
• Confidence: links to reports from trusted sources are provided more often.
Moreover, Twitter will try to provide information on issues before they become viral.
When the topic is potentially misleading, Twitter will try to find the facts out before misinformation spreads.
“Twitter will contextualise the development of discourse in line with or in anticipation of public conversation rather than waiting until anything goes viral.”
Twitter first developed trend explanations in September 2020. Although sometimes helpful, they are not displayed for all trends and definitely not in real time.
The AP & Reuters collaboration addresses the problems with speed and scale, as is another thing that Twitter needs support — fact-checking.
There is a lot of work to check viral web contents and Twitter has no resources internally to do so. Even Facebook outsources its verification of facts.
It is currently the Twitter curation team that adds clarifications to trend topics and does not have the expertise of research journalists.
AP & Reuters come in here. Now Twitter has the resources to find out the facts before misinformation goes too far.
AP and Reuters will focus on English content during this initial phase of the programme.
Twitter says that these efforts will grow over time to support languages and timezones worldwide.
“We are committed to ensuring that people can find reliable information easily if they come to Twitter to see what is happening. Twitter will increase the scale and speed of our efforts to deliver a timely and authoritative context across the broad range of global topics and discussions on Twitter every day.”
