When it comes to news localization, we must understand that it is not same as translation. There are fundamental differences between translation and localization that we must understand. For instance, news localization is a cultural translation that not only speaks the language of the target audiences, but also understands their unique interests, their values, culture, etc. amongst others. On the other hand, translation is just encoding the same information from one language to another.
Therefore, it is important for news localization to keep local factors in mind when translating and writing for a specific audience of the language. Needless to say straight translation is typically sufficient for technical documents and sharing basic information; however, when it comes to news and editorial and other information that impacts the trends and shapes views, localization is of great importance. With localization the news portal also respects the popular sentiments of the people of the region.
Respecting sense and sensibilities of local people with localization
When localization of websites, software, applications, etc. is in trend, news localization is natural to get impacted. In localization, the effort is placed on adapting the original news content to a new target audience. Whereas in translation there is effort, in localization there is lot more effort on making the sense of the news. At the same time localization requires more work and finesse than translation. For instance, names, places, dates, etc. should be according to the local practices.
Similarly, in localization of news stories, efforts are made to change measurement systems as each country has its own set of them. For instance, in Europe they have a different weight and distance system than the US. India has its own system of weight and distance. Thus, there are a lot of peculiarities that are in practice. These are all paid special attention when news localization is done for the clients delivering updated and the latest news.
Let readers of local language feel news was written for them
When readers feel that the news was written just for them and in their language, it gives huge boost to the connection or bonding between the news portal and the readers. In news media it is essential to develop and harvest a loyal reader base. With localization of news and reports, it becomes quite easy to influence the readers as they can associate with the news story written in the language that suits their culture and practices.
Last but not the least, it is necessary to make the news sound like it was initially written in the new language and every detailing was kept in mind. Needless to say since it requires skilled writers who can convey an existing message in a certain style to a defined audience, only trusted name in localization services should be hired. Thus, the bottom line in news localization is that the news should appeal to the readers’ cultural preferences in their own target language and win their loyalty.