Facebook Exiting News Business, Finding News Outside Facebook, Traffic from Apple News, Launch and End of HuffPost Sections, TFP’s Infographic Pick
Welcome to Technology for Publishing’s roundup of news, stories of interest, and tips for media industry pros! This week, we’re sharing posts about reaction to Facebook’s plan to shift focus away from news in its News Feed, whether users will go elsewhere to find news, why Apple News may not make up the traffic shortfall for some, the launch—and end—of HuffPost sections, and more.
We heard much discussion on Facebook’s decision to get out of the news business and the potential impact of that. According to Digiday, Facebook’s announcement that it’s fundamentally changing its news feed to promote content from friends and family over articles from news outlets and other publishers “sent tremors through media companies.” In the short term, the report says, there will be pain—for some publishers (those highly dependent on platforms) more than others (diversified media companies). However, Bloomberg Media CEO Justin Smith told Digiday, “This move can be interpreted as one of the first cracks in the facade of the duopoly. This development is very good for all of media in the long run.”- Exploring another dimension of the move, Nieman Lab asked the question: If Facebook users no longer see news in their feeds, will they bother to go looking for it elsewhere? Though time will tell, the report says people who primarily relied on Facebook for news “were never strong candidates to become assertive, forward-leaning, money-paying news consumers.” In short, it asserts, their news consumption habits are unlikely to change much.
- And so how do publishers plan to offset the drop in traffic from Facebook? There’s Apple News, another Digiday article notes, but for publishers other than news outlets, the benefits—so far—are few. With about 87% of their traffic coming from Facebook, lifestyle publishers offering evergreen content are “unlikely to catch fire” on Apple News, which focuses more on business and political news, the article notes. And there’s also the fact that publishers are still having trouble monetizing on the platform, as advertising “hasn’t been a priority of Apple’s,” it says. But, according to multiple sources, that may change when Google’s DoubleClick ad server is integrated into the Apple platform, allowing Apple News publishers to run ads they serve on their own websites. That’s expected to happen in the first quarter, the report says.
- Digital publisher HuffPost is making some changes of its own: the launch of two new sections, Opinion and Personal, and the end of its contributor platform, known for its mix of blog posts from high-profile figures as well as unknown writers. The goal of the Opinion section, says EIC Lydia Polgreen, “is to help our audience better understand the breakneck news cycle, and shed light on stories that aren’t getting enough attention.” The Personal section will feature essays, Q&As, interviews, and more, “exploring the experiences and lives of celebrities, newsmakers and ‘everyday’ individuals.”
On the Technology for Publishing Blog
- Get organized in the new year! Our new Infographic Pick offers 16 tips and tricks to help you streamline your Gmail inbox and manage your email more effectively.
- Don’t miss it: TFP CEO Margot Knorr Mancini offers insights on major media trends and what we can expect to see in the coming the year. And Monica Murphy’s latest InDesign Tip explains how to add endnotes to your InDesign documents without using third-party products or scripts.
Image: Nieman Lab
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Posted by: Monica Sambataro
