Can viable news share space with endless personal commentary, political agendas and how-to videos? Embattled Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg thinks so — and just in time for the 2020 election.
“Facebook executives tell Axios they’re hiring seasoned journalists to help curate a forthcoming ’News Tab’ that they hope will change how millions get news,” writes Axios editor Mike Allen.
He says the new project is an attempt “to restore the sanity and credibility that’s lost in the chaos of our main feeds” — and also constitutes an effort by Facebook to develop a “healthier relationship with publishers, many of whom have had their business models destroyed by social platforms.”
Which means money. The social media giant plans to pay dozens of publishers to license their content for News Tab. Facebook also aspires to actually give credit to the news organizations that break or create major stories, rather than offering the credit to a news aggregator.
“A small team of journalists will pick stories for a Top News section,” Mr. Allen said.
The names or news organizations of those who will make up the “small team” have not been revealed.
SEE ALSO: Facebook bias review: Gaining conservatives’ trust is ‘elusive’
The new Facebook project will be here soon. A News Tab test for 200,000 users begins in October, with a national outreach expected early next year. Mr. Zuckerberg, in the meantime, is still dealing with ongoing recent reports that Facebook censored conservative content.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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