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Facebook Rolls Out Innovative ‘News’ Feature

Social Media Becomes A Destination for News

Yesterday, Facebook rolled out its anticipated ‘News’ tab, featuring news from hundreds of leading national, local and lifestyle outlets.

The social media giant initially notified users of this feature at the beginning of December 2020. The ‘News’ feature promised to weave a blend of “curated and personalised top stories,” aiming to deliver “informative, reliable and relevant news,” into users’ feeds.

[Image Creds: Engadget]

Facebook’s aim in fusing News into the social media space is to “put original journalism in front of new audiences and provide publishers with more advertising and subscription opportunities to build sustainable businesses for the future.”

What types of news stories will appear on your feed?

The top news stories will be complemented by personalised stories, meaning you’ll get coverage on a breadth of topics, with some specifically tailored to your interests.

Back in December, Facebook announced its its partnership with a handful of publishers, including The Economist, The Guardian, The Independent, STV and hundreds of local news sites, some being Archant, Iliffe, JPI Media, Midlands News Association and Reach. Facebook also partnered with lifestyle outlets such as GQ, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Vogue and many others.

The company has now extended this list, having recently partnered with Channel 4 News, Daily Mail Group, DC Thomson, Financial Times, Sky News and Telegraph Media Group. It is evident from this abundance of collaborations that Facebook’s ‘News’ feature will provide users with an eclectic and diverse range of content.

What are the key features of Facebook News?

  1. Today’s stories chosen by a team of journalists to catch up on the latest news as it breaks throughout the day.
  2. Personalisation based on the news you read, share and follow, so you can find new interests and topics from your favourite news outlets or publications you haven’t previously followed, creating a fresh and interesting experience every time.
  3. News sections to dive deeper into business, entertainment, health, science & tech and sport.
  4. Controls to make sure you see the articles, topics or publishers you want to see and hide those you don’t.

Facebook deems this development innovative and revolutionary – the company stated proudly on its website, “this is the beginning of a series of international investments in news” and believe “it is critical that regulatory environments invite this kind of investment and innovation.”

Finally, for our previous #SocialShort, click here.

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