DotJournalism covers the Association of Online Publishers (AOP) conference in London: "[Andrew] Hart, managing director of Associated New Media, 'told delegates that the internet is a truly global community and the first information democracy [...] But he said that search has now become a tool that can be exploited, with specialist agencies paid big bucks by big business to improve their position in search results.' Speakers also criticised Google's news tool. Andrew Hart referred to a recent report by web publishing consultant Vin Crosbie which found that 48 per cent of results returned by Google's News tool came from just five sources: Although Google spiders more than 7,000 news sources, only about a dozen sources account for the vast majority of stories displayed on Google News day to day, and two of those predominant sources are owned and operated by the U.S. and Chinese governments."

Source: DotJournalism Vin Crosbie at Poynter Online