1. A method executed on one or more computing devices for generating a customized news collection based on social groups, the method comprising: receiving a request from a user for a customized news collection based on one or more social groups; receiving a selection of the one or more social groups from a plurality of social groups by the user as part of the request, wherein each of the plurality of social groups is associated with the user's account in a social networking service; determining, using the one or more computing devices, one or more contacts associated with the one or more social groups selected by the user in response to receiving the selection of the one or more social groups; identifying a plurality of news items available to the user, wherein at least one of the plurality of news items comprises a news item generated at a news service or provided for consumption at a news service, wherein the news service is distinct from the social networking service; selecting a set of news items from the plurality of news items in response to receiving the selection of the one or more social groups, wherein the set of news items includes at least one news items selected based on the interaction of one or more contacts associated with at least one of the one or more social groups with the at least one news item; and sorting the set of news items according to one or more sorting criteria, wherein the sorting criteria include one or more priorities assigned to one or more news characteristics associated with a news item, the sorting comprising: determining a priority assigned to one or more news characteristics associated with each of the news items of the set of news items; and ranking the news items of the set of news items according to the priorities; generating a news collection including one or more news items of the set of news items in response to the request from the user in response to the sorting.