With the recent launch of TrustServista version 1.0 we introduced a functionality that uncovers even more relationships between online articles: the Enhanced Semantic Linking feature.
TrustServista’s link analysis algorithm is currently used both for automatically generating the Trending Stories you see on the application’s main page and also determining Patient Zero. It relies on analyzing each article’s text and finding links (URLs) and references to publications (such as “according to Associated Press”, but with no link). This link analysis allows TrustServista to track all references across multiple articles and publications, including social media.
The Enhanced Semantic Linking goes on step further by analyzing the similarity of articles and finding common or very similar content shared across them. It could be excerpts from news agencies, statements and quotes or event entire paragraphs (even slightly modified) that are common to multiple articles, even across different websites. This feature not only enriches the view of a Trending Story and the makes the determination of Patient Zero more accurate, but it accurately find how content is repurposed, with or without mentioning the original content owner.
There are now 3 types of article relationships in TrustServista
Explicit: An article contains a link (URL to another article), represented by solid arrow in the Article Graph or Story Navigator.
Implicit: An article mentions another publication (“according to AP”) but without an actual URL link, represented by dashed green arrows in the Article Graph or Story Navigator.
Similar: An article is very similar to an article published previously, represented by dashed yellow arrows in the Article Graph or Story Navigator.
Example
This Trending Story regarding to the Qatar crisis, we can observe all 3 types or article relationships by analyzing the Story Navigator:
Explicit Link: Washington Post’s article “The blockade of Qatar is failing” (Q) is directly referencing an Al Jazeera article (D) with an URL:
Implicit Link: An article from The Independent (L) mentions Al Jazeera in the context of UAE-backed hacking. The mention is not to a specific article, but the context allows TrustSevista to find a similar article from Al Jazeera (D):
Semantic (similarity) Link: All content from the article “UAE FM warns Qatar is ‘undermining’ GCC allies” (Middle East Online (H)) can be also found in an article from Nation.com.pk (T): “Qatar is ‘undermining’ GCC allies: UAE“.