Facebook hands lifeline to local news publishers with new changes
Recently we reported about a reduction in our visibility on Facebook. This was due to a change in the way that Facebook wants to rank business and media posts.
In a tweak to these changes, Facebook has now revealed that local “high quality” content will be prioritised in Facebook feeds.
On Monday Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg said:
“Local news helps us understand the issues that matter in our communities,”
“If you follow a local publisher or if someone shares a local story, it may show up higher in News Feed,” he added.
This change will be rolled out in America first before rolling out across the globe.
The reason for the change in stance is the understanding that Facebook users who are informed about what is happening around them are more likely to become involved in trying to make a difference.
Mr Zuckerberg said:
“Research suggests that reading local news is directly correlated with civic engagement,”
Adding that this change enforces their vision of showing more “high quality, trusted news”.
Facebook confirmed in a statement that the “See First” feature will allow users to choose which news sources are most important to them.
Facebook is making a series of changes to its website and apps after criticism over the appearance of *fake* news and misinformation in users’ feeds.
