News providers have recently begun linking to outside news sites on their web editions, this marks a significant shift in attitude towards recommending rival sites as alternative sources of information.

An example of the changing attitude towards linking to other sites is on the recently launched site, the Political Browser by The Washington Post. The new section of their site aims to provide readers with the best in political news coverage - even if that means linking to stories by rival newspapers. This move, according to executive editor at the Post, Jim Brady, will allow their site to become the front door to political coverage.

The New York Times has also announced similar plans to offer online readers an alternative home page with links to competitors.

Furthermore, The New York Times reports that NBC will launch websites for its local TV stations and through those sites they will link to competitors such as local newspapers, radio stations, online videos and other sources.

According to Scott Karp, chief of Publish2, the method of "link journalism," is a "fundamentally different mindset for journalists." Most newspapers, TV stations, websites and magazines have been reluctant to link to outside sources because they want to keep users on their site for readership and advertising revenue purposes.

However, the clearest example of where this new thinking works is Google, according to Karp. "It's all about sending people away, and it does such a good job of it that people keep coming back for more," he said.

The changing attitude towards linking and news aggregation rather than always providing original content is a dramatic shift away from previous policies. It marks a significant change in how news providers are approaching their content.

Sources: The New York Times

See these other examples of linking and news aggregation: The Huffington Post, Newser, Topix!, Drudge Report