News consumption app helps users diversify their sources

New app tracks a user’s reading habits and suggests alternative media sources in an attempt to broaden their views and intake.

In an era where the term ‘fake news’ has become commonplace, news app Read Across the Aisle by US-based BeeLine Reader is designed to help users break out from the ‘filter bubble’ of media sources they are inclined to read from by offering articles from opposing angles. The app, which is Kickstarter funded, hopes to combat political polarization by allowing readers to see the partisan bias of the news sources they are accessing. It tracks the user’s own political news bias over time, and finds reliable new sources from both the left and right wing to offer a reader a well-rounded spectrum of approaches.

Research has found that Internet users, particularly in the realm of news and social media, tend to immerse themselves with those who have similar opinions, meaning other information can be missed or deemed false. App users are informed when their reading habits skew too far to one side of the political spectrum, and are consequently prompted to read articles written by the press from the opposing side.

As the once-popular newspapers have made way for online news consumption, technology to support the industry has excelled. Recent innovations covered by Springwise include a blockchain transparency tool applied to newsfeeds to create algorithms of trustworthy news sources, and a news website that encourages readers to empathise with opposing views. How varied is your news consumption?