Google's geotagging of news still in the making

Posted by Carolyn Lo on March 10, 2008 at 11:43 AM

       Google has developed a mapping system called "geotagging" or "geocoding" that allows internet users to plot specific places on a digital map. Newspapers, especially in the UK, have been quick to realize the opportunities offered by "geotagging", but "the road to simple news mapping has a few twists and turns in it yet," reported media consultant Ian Reeves for the Press Gazette.

       The Online Journalism Blog identified hyperlocal and geotagged news as one of the 10 most significant trends of journalism.

       At the end of last year, Google began offering UK postcodes services to "geotag." Consequently, newsrooms have had opportunity to pinpoint their web stories on GoogleMaps using addresses and postcodes.

       Reeves attempted to create a map mash-up using Google Maps, a project seemingly straightforward.

       Doing so, he found some downsides to GoogleMaps' "geotagging." It is still inaccurate in some cases, limiting use of this service to quite general maps and making it unsuitable for hyperlocal news sites. The technology also uses advanced web language such as Javascript, php, and SQL, which makes it difficult for unknowing journalists to use the service.

Source: Press Gazette