• Audience growth: This new level of information means more readers look to Google first for news.
• Audience growth: The opportunity to contribute information after the presses run will increase the number “newsmakers” in Google News’ audience.
• Reduced credibility: Nowhere in this announcement is anything that says the reporters behind the article will have an opportunity to respond. Indeed, it gives newsmakers a license and incentive to gain a spotlight on Google (Online News Squared asks the question: Google says yes papers can comment, newspapers are participants too).
• What’s up, Rolodex: Google builds an index of these people-in-the-news (and their contact information) across the nation. Google’s hold on information gets even stronger.

There aren’t a lot of “wins” in this for newspapers. But there is a worthwhile solution that address this new-found need (assuming you consider “correcting the record where need be” a need):

Devote more resources to article commenting: Many papers allow comments on articles. Build out the comment system to allowing readers to designate a comment as a “correction,” “addition,” or “clarification.” For comments like that you require real names and contact information (keep the contact information for verification). Heck, while you’re at it, add a “questions” designation and create a specific way readers can ask the reporters for more information about an article — not only could this get your reporters more involved in the web site, it would boost credibility with readers, and give newspapers a little more insight into what readers want to know.

I’m not saying this will “beat” Google — but I do say it’s the best shot at taking that attention-share away from Google and pointing it back at newspaper content and its community.

If your newspaper-dot-com is still using HaloScan, it’s time to get serious about your technology.

Here are a couple related links to newspapers and article commenting:
» Comments, registration rise at paper websites
» The case for real identities on newspaper-dot-com sites

• Are newspapers doing the standard wringing-of-the-hands? Yup. But this is is a different type of move for Google (less automation more human / editorial involvement), so there are new reasons for hand-wringing.
• Google, Facebook and these sites with significant audiences are pushing newspapers to address the online issues that have been ignored.
• This passive approach to technology on newspaper’s part is weak.

And here are some more links on the topic:

• Lauren Rich Fine (I love what she writes): Was GoogleNews’ News News?
• Guardian Unlimited: From Google to gaggle
• New York Times: Names in the News Get a Way to Respond (and no, there were no corrections to this article on Google News, as of 8/13)
• Press Gazette: Fleet Street: Google News comments roundup