The 2018 Midterm Elections section helps readers follow the latest on the elections with breaking news, exclusive highlights and analysis from reliable sources selected by Apple News’ team of experienced editors. Readers can quickly get up to speed on the most relevant topics and candidates by accessing the new section in the Apple News app from a banner across the top of the For You tab, as well as through Top Stories and the Spotlight tab.
Apple is getting into Election coverage after the companies like Facebook and Twitter totally botched things in 2016. Both social networks were overrun with fake news stories, often backed and spread by foreign agents.
Facebook in particular tried to influence the stories spread on its platform with human curation, but that ended … poorly.
I have hope that Apple will do better under the leadership of Apple News Editor in Chief Lauren Kern, whom Apple hired from New York Magazine. Kern is quoted in the press release:
Today more than ever people want information from reliable sources, especially when it comes to making voting decisions.
An election is not just a contest; it should raise conversations and spark national discourse. By presenting quality news from trustworthy sources and curating a diverse range of opinions, Apple News aims to be a responsible steward of those conversations and help readers understand the candidates and the issues.
Apple News will pull stories from Fox News, Vox, The Washington Post, Axios and Politico among “other publishers.” While I have a whole heap of problems with Fox News, I think this collection of publishers is pretty even-handed when it comes to political persuasion.
The New York Times is an interesting omission, but I love that Vox and Axios, two digital media startups are going to be featured sources within Apple News.
Currently, I don’t use Apple News all that much, but this may change that.