Facebook attempts to reach out to journalists
Could be seen as a strategy to eat into Twitter territory
Facebook, the world’s leading social networking site earlier this month announced the launch of a media resource page to help journalists use the social network as a reporting tool and better connect with their audience.
Within hours of going up, the Journalists on Facebook page had received nearly 2,300 “likes” which was indicative of how popular the page might be.
Facebook’s director of media partnerships, Justin Osofsky was quoted as saying the page was intended to be “an ongoing resource for the growing number of reporters using Facebook to find sources, interact with readers, and advance stories. He said the page would provide journalists with best practices for integrating the latest Facebook products with their work and connecting with the Facebook audience of more than 500 million people. Content will be added regularly, and feedback from the journalism community will be incorporated.
The social network leader would also launch a “Facebook Journalism Meetup” program with workshops on how to use Facebook as a reporting tool. It said the first one will be held before the end of April at Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, California.
Analysts have welcomed the development and have even gone as far as saying the move was an attempt to make inroads into Twitter territory. Twitter has generally become a popular tool for journalists ever since its launch in 2006. Digital trends analyst Molly McHugh said the launch signalled Facebook’s intent to be more in tune with world events.
“(Facebook’s) very purpose, at least originally, is to make news out of what your girlfriend, brother and roommate are doing, not world events,” said McHugh.