Facebook News tab becomes unavailable as Meta scales back news and political content

Category: Business

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. sunset / ˈsʌnˌsɛt / (v.) – to end or stop something over time
    Example:

    The government sunsetted the program after failing to achieve its objectives and facing budget cuts.


  2. curate / ˈkyʊər eɪt / (v.) – to carefully select and organize things, such as artwork, products, or internet content into a collection, list, or on a website
    Example:

    In his previous job, Mike curated articles and videos to share on our company’s social media pages.


  3. scale back / skeɪl bæk / (phrasal v.) – to reduce the size, extent, or quantity of something
    Example:

    The company had to scale back its advertising projects this year because of money issues.


  4. polarization / ˌpoʊ lər əˈzeɪ ʃən / (n.) – the act of dividing something, such as people, opinions, or beliefs, into opposing groups
    Example:

    The political debate led to increased polarization among the population.


  5. envision / ɛnˈvɪʒ ən / (v.) – to imagine or think about something that is expected to happen in the future, usually something good or positive
    Example:

    Beverly could envision herself as a successful businesswoman, leading her own company.


Article

Read the text below.

Meta sunsetted Facebook News in early April for users in the U.S. and Australia as the platform further deemphasizes news and politics. The feature was shut down in the U.K., France, and Germany last year.


Launched in 2019, the News tab curated headlines from national and international news organizations, as well as smaller, local publications.


Meta says users can still view links to news articles, and news organizations can still post and promote their stories and websites, as any other individual or organization can on Facebook.


The change came as Meta tries to scale back news and political content on its platforms following years of criticism about how it handles misinformation and whether it contributes to political polarization.


“This change does not impact posts from accounts people choose to follow; it impacts what the system recommends, and people can control if they want more,” said Dani Lever, a Meta spokesperson. “This announcement expands on years of work on how we approach and treat political content based on what people have told us they wanted.”


Meta said the change to the News tab does not affect its fact-checking network and review of misinformation. But misinformation remains a challenge for the company, especially as the U.S. presidential election and other races get underway.


“Facebook didn’t envision itself as a political platform. It was run by tech people. And then suddenly it started scaling and they found themselves immersed in politics, and they themselves became the headline,” said Sarah Kreps, director of the Tech Policy Institute in the Cornell Brooks School of Public Policy who studies tech policy and how new technologies evolve over time.


News makes up less than 3% of what users worldwide see in their Facebook feeds, Meta said, adding that the number of people using Facebook News in Australia and the U.S. dropped by over 80% last year.


However, according to a 2023 Pew Research study, half of U.S. adults get news at least sometimes from social media. And one platform outpaces the rest: Facebook.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Do you think Meta’s decision to sunset Facebook News and to scale back news and political content on its platform is a good decision? Why or why not? Do you think this will lessen political content and issues associated with Facebook? Why do you say so? Discuss.
  • Sarah Kreps said that Facebook didn’t envision itself as a political platform. Do you believe it is possible for Facebook to become a platform free of political discussions? Do you believe this is possible with any platforms at all? Why or why not? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • Do you think Meta’s decision to sunset Facebook News will have a significant impact on the way people consume news online? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, is it a good idea to rely on social media as a news source? Why or why not? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this (ex. advantage: easy access to news, disadvantage: too many political debates online)? Discuss.