News Comparisons - First Results

Last week we introduced News Comparisons on our site, in response to the overwhelming support this feature received in our recent survey. Of about 223 survey respondents so far, 165 said they favored News Comparisons over our other features in development right now (UPDATE: Check our blog post on the final survey results).

You may have noticed our new 'News Comparison' box in the top-right corner of our home page. Every day we'll post in this box three stories that are related to our featured story -- stories that present different perspectives on the same topic -- and invite you to review them. This is a prototype for what we hope will grow into a full-featured service for comparing related stories. 

With News Comparisons, our goal is to get the most comprehensive and trustworthy coverage of an issue as possible by having our community review and comment on clusters of stories on the same topic. As our community has judged, it's often not enough to review a single story, particularly in the case of breaking news, when a topic hasn't been fully vetted yet.

UPDATE 6/5:  We have gotten some great feedback on News Comparisons from our community so far. Here's what a couple reviewers had to say:

Deborah Plummer

I love it! Thank you so much for this idea. I have not been able to write reviews lately but I do read aka “quick look” Newstrust and these comparisons have been terrific. Once upon time, when I wasn’t so busy, I use to do it myself but now, Newstrust is doing it. To me, it’s the only way to learn about what’s going on by comparing how others (i.e. countries) view what’s going on with us and other situtions in our world. Amrica isn’t the truthsayer as we once were, if we ever were, anymore.

Naomi Isler

I think this is a very interesting experiment, which should be continued and refined. I always try to look at the articles, even if I don’t review them. There has been at least one instance where I felt that another article in the listings would have made a better comparison – but that’s part of development.

Tell us your thoughts! Leave a comment here on our blog, on our Feedback page, or email us at news@newstrust.net.

Today's News Comparison: Judge Sotomayor
This week, we're looking at each day's major news stories for our News Comparisons. Yesterday, we compared news stories on North Korea's Nuclear Test. Today, the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court dominates news headlines -- and we're comparing news and opinion on the impact of President Barack Obama's nomination of a Hispanic woman to the Supreme Court.

Our highest rated story for this topic yesterday came from SCOTUSblog, in which Tom Goldstein outlined the four major lines of attack he anticipates from Sotomayor's opponents in the coming weeks. Vincent Camintini called it "a delightful read that brimmed with sanity. Oddly and sadly, the article is about observing a dysfunctional body politique and how we have become a series of strategists operating in huddles in order to select a representative from a small group of Americans - to represent the Judicial word of the land as it pertains to the Constitution."

We compared this story to three others well-received by our community. 'The Sotomayor Mystery,' from Slate, focused on how challenges to Sotomayor's opinion in the case of Ricci v. DeSetfano may complicate her confirmation hearings. The Hill asked how the Republican Party will criticize Sotomayor without alienating Hispanic voters, while Mother Jones went further, predicting that Sotomayor's confirmation could split social conservatives and moderates in the GOP.

How you can Help
Today, we're continuing to focus on Sotomayor's nomination. Can you help us find the best coverage of this topic? Review a story in the News Comparison box on our home page – or on our Supreme Court topic page. If you've come across a good story that relates to this topic, please submit it under 'Supreme Court' on our site - or 'link' it to an existing story on this topic, using the Links tool in the review form.

News Comparisons on the Economy
Last week, we featured News Comparisons on the Economy. We focused on clusters of stories that covered a range of economy-related subtopics, from jobs to globalization to finance. Here are a few of the most notable comparisons.

Green-collar Jobs
In our top news comparison this week, we looked for good journalism on green-collar jobs. Time Magazine's 'It Will Pay to Save the Planet,' gave a concise overview of the potential for green-collar jobs help pull the economy out of recession and create new employment opportunities. Grist profiled the Climate Corps, a group of MBAs dedicated to helping big businesses become more energy efficient. Washington Business Journal, on the other hand, warned of a "bandwagon effect" in green-collar jobs that could harm accountability in energy and other projects.

Here are other News Comparisons we featured last week:

Economic relations between China and the United States:
Will China Still Bankroll U.S. - New York Times
As Detroit crumbles, China emerges as auto epicenter - Washington Post
"We hate you guys... but there is nothing much we can do" - Council on Foreign Relations 

Youth in the workplace:
'Youth magnet' cities hit midlife crisis - Wall Street Journal 
Why boomers can't quit - Time
Even in hostile working environments, employees reluctant to leave jobs - Science Daily

Thanks to our Reviewers!
We'd like to give a big thanks to all our NewsTrust reviewers who participated in our first round of News Comparisons. Your enthusiasm and involvement is an inspiration to all of us as we continue to develop this new feature. Kudos to Vincint Camintini and Glenn LaBauve for their excellent reviews on our story clusters.

-- Derek Hawkins, with Fabrice Florin and Kaizar Campwala