- Title: CEO Zuckerberg says new Facebook's news tab will include a 'breadth of content'
- Date: 25th October 2019
- Summary: SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 25, 2019) (REUTERS VIA SKYPE) (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEWSONOMICS PRESIDENT, KEN DOCTOR, SAYING: "Right, and this morning, Mark Zuckerberg was asked specifically about Breitbart, for instance, and he declined to take that question. What they're saying, basically, in licensing content from 200 news organizations, and almost all of these are U.S. organizations, but he's signaled that their next step is to go international, is that they have their list, of course, of guidelines - who fits, who is a legitimate news organization? Well, that question, which is the same question faced by Google and Apple, is one that's gotten Facebook in the crosshairs of Congress before. Now, maybe it will escape this time. But given the attention, there are 48 attorneys general looking at, at Facebook, it could, it could cause more problems. It's definitely very reasonable in saying, 'well, these companies seem to be legitimate news companies. And these don't be don't seem to be.' But that could be questioned."
- Embargoed: 8th November 2019 20:03
- Keywords: Mark Zuckerberg Facebook NewsCorp Robert Johnson Ken Doctor Newsonomics
- Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, + SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- City: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, + SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Company News Markets,Economic Events
- Reuters ID: LVA004B2LJI9Z
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg promised a "breadth of content" on its new "News Tab" on Friday (October 25), a feature the social media company is testing with 200,000 users in the United States that shows a curated feed of news stories from outlets across the country.
Zuckerberg made the announcement at an event in New York.
"This is going to be the first time ever that there is a dedicated space in the app that's focused on high-quality journalism," Zuckerberg said.
"We also announced a $300 million dollar commitment to journalism and helping a number of publishers, but a special focus on local news to grow their subscription business model, especially, and to do work on that."
The tab will feature access to content from about 200 news publishers, such as Wall Street Journal, Fox News, and NPR.
"We're not only doing it algorithmically," Zuckerberg said. "We've put together a team of folks, who have experience in journalism and a background in this."
But Ken Doctor, a media analyst and president of Newsonomics, told Reuters news selection could prove to be a challenge.
"Who fits, who is a legitimate news organization?" Doctor said. "Well, that question, which is the same question faced by Google and Apple, is one that's gotten Facebook in the crosshairs of Congress before."
Zuckerberg said he hoped the model would be able to be replicated internationally as well.
(Production: Aleksandra Michalska) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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