Forsyth's Facebook focus group
About 120 subscribers to the Forsyth County News in Georgia are getting more engagement with the paper via a closed Facebook group just for them.
And the paper, which circulates 7,000 copies on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, is getting valuable input into its news coverage.
"We can have a direct relationship with the people who are paying us to do this work," said Editor Brian Paglia.
MOREFacebook considering hiring editors to pick quality news for users
Facebook could start employing editors to select "high-quality news" to show to users, in the social network's latest attempt to lose its reputation as a source for disinformation.
Mark Zuckerberg said he is considering the introduction of a dedicated news section on the social network, which could use either humans or algorithms to chose stories from outlets that are "broadly trusted" by society.
"We're not going to have journalists making news," said the social network boss, who explained the aim of the new feature would be to promote material produced by third parties. "What we want to do is make sure that this is a product that can get people high-quality news."
Zuckerberg also said he is considering whether Facebook should start paying news publishers to include their articles in this news section in order to reward "high-quality, trustworthy content."
MOREFacebook says service hindered by lack of local news
Facebook's effort to establish a service that provides its users with local news and information is being hindered by the lack of outlets where the company's technicians can find original reporting.
The service, launched last year, is currently available in some 400 cities in the United States. But the social media giant said it has found that 40 percent of Americans live in places where there weren't enough local news stories to support it.
Facebook announced Monday it would share its research with academics at Duke, Harvard, Minnesota and North Carolina who are studying the extent of news deserts created by newspaper closures and staff downsizing.
Read more from The Associated Press
MORE
Post and Courier launches subscriber Facebook group, offering more perks for readers
The Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.) has launched a new Facebook group exclusively for its subscribers – or what the paper calls its Insiders.
MORE
Announced today by Facebook: Doing more to support local news
Over the next three years, we will invest $300 million in news programs, partnerships and content.
We are also expanding our Accelerator pilot, which launched in the United States in 2018 to help local newsrooms with subscription and membership models. This year, we'll commit over $20 million to continue the local Accelerator in the United States and to expand the model globally, including in Europe.
MOREFacebook hits back at publishers with archive policy
Speaking at Axios' Media Trends event Monday night, Facebook's head of global news partnerships Campbell Brown formally announced a policy to try to appease publishers' concerns over a controversial archive of political ads on its platform, which would also include ads promoting publishers' political content.
Why it matters: It's Facebook's latest effort to make nice with publishers, which continue to show frustration with changes and experiments to news functions on its platform.
Read more from Axios
MORE
Congressman to introduce anti-trust safe harbor bill for newspaper companies
On Monday, Feb. 26, the News Media Alliance again called on Congress to allow publishers to negotiate collectively with dominant online platforms, namely Facebook and Google.
In an Op-Ed published in The Wall Street Journal, Alliance President & CEO David Chavern announced that Congressman David Cicilline (D-RI), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee, is expected to introduce a bill soon that would amend anti-trust laws to incorporate a safe harbor, allowing news publishers to negotiate with the big tech platforms, and therefore flowing needed ad dollars back to the deserving parties, the news publishers.
Read more from News Media Alliance
MORE
Facebook meets the press
The Mega-Conference will be held Feb. 26-28 in San Diego.
Open the Room project helps journalists and citizens broadcast on Facebook Live
This emerging technology will allow newspapers to cover more local meetings and events – even local sports – with better than acceptable video and audio quality at a much lower cost.
MORE
We have a new website:
www.newspapers.org
America's Newspapers – the association formed from the merger of the Inland Press Association and Southern Newspaper Publishers Association – was ceremonially launched October 6 at its inaugural annual meeting in Chicago.
Dean Ridings will be its chief executive officer, effective Nov. 11.
America's Newspapers unites two of the oldest press associations to form one of the industry's largest advocates for newspapers and the many benefits to their communities, civil life, freedom of expression and democracy.
"Newspaper journalism provides a voice for the voiceless, challenges elected officials, shines a light on government, calls for change when change is needed, and exposes corruption and injustice," said Chris Reen, the president and publisher of The Gazette in Colorado Springs who will serve as the first president of America's Newspapers.
More
New association launches today;
SNPA-Inland merger is complete
A new association formed by the consolidation of SNPA and the Inland Press Association was officially launched today. The name of the new association will be announced on Oct. 6 at the association's first annual meeting in Chicago.
Edward VanHorn, SNPA's executive director, said that the merger unites two of the country's oldest press associations into a progressive new organization that will use its bigger and more powerful voice to be an unapologetic advocate for newspapers.
More