Facebook’s News tab, which was launched in 2019 with substantial content deals for publishers, is now facing its demise. Meta announced that it will be “deprecating” Facebook News in the US and Australia in April 2024. This decision includes not entering new commercial deals for news and not offering new Facebook products specifically for news publishers in the future.
This move by Meta is not the first time Facebook has retreated from the news. In the past, Facebook had to let go of Instant Articles, and the signs of this current decision have been evident for some time. In 2022, the focus shifted from news to the Creator economy, and the departure of Campbell Brown, the former head of news partnerships, last October further indicated the direction Facebook was headed in.
Meta’s Shift in Focus
While Facebook initially stated that the introduction of Facebook News was meant to sustain great journalism and strengthen democracy, Meta now claims that news makes up less than 3 percent of what people see in their Facebook feed. As a result, the company will now focus more on things that people want to see on the platform, such as short-form video content.
The end of Facebook’s licensing deals will have significant consequences for publishers, particularly in Australia where outlets like Sky News Australia, News Corp, Seven, Nine, and The Guardian were benefiting from the $70 million per year that Facebook was paying out. These deals were a result of Australia’s News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code, and now that they are about to expire, publishers will have to find alternative ways to drive traffic to their websites.
The Legal Battles
The decision to deprecate Facebook News is also a result of the legal battles that Facebook has faced in various countries. In Canada, for example, Facebook and Instagram blocked news last year due to a similar law, showing the ongoing challenges that the company faces in complying with different legislations around the world.
Meta’s decision to deprecate Facebook News marks a significant shift in the company’s priorities and raises questions about the future of news distribution on social media platforms. The impact on publishers, the legal battles, and the changing landscape of online journalism all play a role in shaping the current state of affairs.
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