While Apple announced earlier this summer that its redesigned News app would feature a curated feed, it did not give any indication as to how it would go about choosing which stories to highlight, until now. Breaking from expectations that it would automate its editorial process, a job posting on Apple's website suggests they are in fact planning to take a different approach, allowing a human editor to choose what stories will make the cut.
The job listing, which appeared online in early July, advertised an opening titled "Editor, Apple News." The decision to give curative power to a venerable editor mirrors the move Apple made in snagging legendary DJ Zane Lowe from BBC Radio to take the helm at Apple's new Beats Radio. The 24/7 streaming station has been celebrated as the most successful aspect of the Apple Music release to date, which suggests that their venture into news curation could take a similar form.
Apple's move to offer information itself, rather than just a platform with which to access it, is a revolutionary move for the computer company, even if Apple Music seems like it was simply a logical next step in the transformation of a music industry where streaming now reigns supreme. By adding its own human touch to news, Apple opens itself up to having an editorial bias as its curator chooses what content users can and cannot see. The potential upside, however, is that a trustworthy editor can attract readers with a more relevant and higher quality feed than the articles automated feeds typically troll for.
Still up in the air is who this editor will be, a question that could ultimately determine the fate of Apple's most recent venture.
For custom technology consulting ranging from iPad deployment and Mac integration to website programming, MC Services can help. Contact us today.
