Meta to Remove Facebook News Section in US and Australia, Focusing on Short-form Video

Meta has declared its plan to discontinue the dedicated news section on Facebook, impacting users in the United States and Australia. The company revealed that the removal of the Facebook News tab in April is part of its strategy to align investments with user preferences, emphasizing a shift towards short form video content.

Reason for Removal

The decision to end the Facebook News tab is attributed to Meta's aim to focus resources on content that users express a desire to see more of on the platform. Notably, the usage of Facebook News in Australia and the U.S. declined by over 80% in the previous year, prompting the company to reassess its offerings.

Previous Actions and Industry Relations

This move follows the elimination of the news section for Facebook users in the U.K., France and Germany, marking Meta's endeavor to distance itself from the news industry amid ongoing controversies related to misinformation and content moderation.

Shift in Resources and Impact on News Publishers

While Meta shifts focus away from the news section, news publishers in Australia, France and Germany will continue to have access to their Facebook accounts and pages for sharing links to their stories and directing traffic to their websites. However, Meta stated that it will not engage in new commercial deals for traditional news content in select countries or develop new Facebook products specifically for news publishers in the future.

Impact Analysis

An analysis by the analytics firm Chartbeat revealed a significant drop in referral traffic for news and media websites from various companies, with Facebook's share declining from 50% to 33% in the span of a year. Furthermore, insights from Similarweb indicated a substantial decrease in Facebook referral traffic for the top 100 global news publishers after years of consistent decline.

Testimonial from Mother Jones CEO

CEO Monika Bauerlein of Mother Jones, a nonprofit news publication, highlighted a 99% decline in Facebook referrals since 2017. Despite an increase in the publication's Facebook page followers, the visibility of its news stories on the platform has decreased significantly, reflecting a broader trend experienced by publishers.

Future Direction and User Engagement

Meta expressed its commitment to investing in products and services that drive user engagement, encouraging news organizations to leverage alternative features like reels and the ads system to reach broader audiences and redirect traffic to their websites, while retaining 100% of the revenue from outbound links on Facebook.

Continued Industry Impact

As Meta continues to transition away from news distribution, the industry will likely witness further consequences, with publishers adapting to the evolving landscape of content sharing and user engagement. The long-term effects of these changes on news consumption and publisher viability remain to be seen.