Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) – Why does Apple News show me certain news and media, and not mention others?

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) news aggregator Apple News has been around since 2015, though its popularity has really exploded in recent years as the tech giant has expanded its features and improved the experience. According to the latest public figures shared, Apple News has 125 million monthly active users.

The app follows the steps of its successor, Newsstand, but adds many new features and an improved news selection algorithm. The human component is also important in the news selection process.

But how does Apple News select what to show you and what not to show you? How is it different from what others see?

Seeking to better understand this, Benzinga delved into the details of how the app works.

Top stories

As soon as you open the Apple News app, you get a selection of the day’s “Top Stories” under the “Today” tab, which also shows trending stories, your favorite topics and more.

This section is curated by a team of Apple News editors who are all experienced journalists. The selection seeks to represent the most significant stories relevant to a national audience.

The Apple News app also offers alerts and notifications for major news. These are based on users’ interests and the media they follow.

Apple News editors send users notifications about top news stories, as well as notifications about new Spotlight collections. Individual outlets can also determine when and what topics to send notifications to their subscribers.

Why do I see more mainstream mainstream media than local media or emerging news sites?

To populate the Top Stories section, Apple News editors consider many factors. Their analysis includes whether a news outlet is first to report on a topic, the depth of reporting, how close the reporting is, which sources and how many sources are cited, and various other elements.

The Today Feed is an ever-changing mix of content comprised of editorial curation and algorithmic recommendations based on both the channels a user follows and the topics they read.

The pro-choice

In addition to the basic app, Apple News offers a subscription service.

Apple News+ is available for $9.99 per month, providing access to hundreds of magazines, newspapers, digital outlets, and audio stories. It is available for users in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

Photo: Daniel Korpai on Unsplash