Facebook and X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, once prioritized news on their platforms, publishing headlines and making a space for those living through a news story to post their experiences. But nowadays, these platforms are more focused on interactions between users.
It’s a big change for these businesses, for publishers, and for users. Tech expert Omar Gallaga says social media users are less engaged with news than they once were, and that platforms have noticed.
Highlights from this segment:
– Social networks place much less emphasis on amplifying news, making a place for it on their home pages, or featuring headlines. Publishers are losing traffic, both because of platform changes and readers’ seemingly declining interest in news.
– Disinformation and political polarization has led to less engagement with news. Users are also focusing on video content from platforms like Instagram and TikTok. But news publishers’ pivot to video did not bring more eyeballs to their content, as they had hoped.
– Social platforms have reduced or eliminated news initiatives. Facebook’s head of news, Campbell Brown, is leaving the company.
